Bir al-Abd explained

Bir al-Abed
Native Name:Arabic: بئر العبد
Settlement Type:City
Pushpin Map:Egypt
Pushpin Label Position:bottom
Pushpin Mapsize:250
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Egypt
Coordinates:31.0181°N 33.0111°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: Egypt
Subdivision Type1:Governorate
Subdivision Name1:North Sinai
Unit Pref:Imperial
Population Total:~87,219
Population As Of:2015
Population Blank1 Title:Ethnicities
Timezone:EST
Utc Offset:+2
Timezone Dst:not observed
Utc Offset Dst:+2

Bir al-Abed (Arabic: بئر العبد|biʾr al-ʿabd; بير العبد) is one of the cities of North Sinai in the north east of Egypt. It is the capital of Bir al-Abd Markaz, located on the international coastal road on the shores of Lake Bardawil.

History

On 9 August 1916, the Battle of Bir el Abd, which was part of the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of the First World War, occurred. Following the British success in the battle of Romani, ANZAC Mounted Division, with the 5th Mounted Brigade under command, was tasked to follow a retiring Turkish Army force. British patrols discovered them on 8 August and the remainder of the ANZAC Division got into a position to attack the next day. The assault was launched on early 9 August and became a day of attack and counter-attack. Finally in the early evening Chauvel, commanding the ANZAC Division, ordered his troops to withdraw leaving the Turkish force in command of the battleground.

On 24 November 2017, in the al-Rawda mosque near the town, known as the birthplace of the founder of Sufism in the Sinai Peninsula, was attacked by around forty gunmen during Friday prayers. The gun and bomb attack killed at least 305 people and injured more than 100 others, making it the deadliest attack in Egyptian history.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] The mosque is on the road between El Arish and Bir al-Abed.[6]

On 12 October 2019, a blast killed nine members from the same family when they were returning from an olive farm and wounded the other six during the battle against the insurgency in the area.[7] [8]

See also

References

  1. News: Egypt attack: More than 230 killed in Sinai mosque. 24 November 2017. BBC News. 24 November 2017.
  2. News: The Latest: Egypt says death toll in mosque attack up to 200. 24 November 2017. Associated Press News. 24 November 2017.
  3. Web site: Deadly blast strikes mosque in Egypt's Sinai. www.aljazeera.com. 24 November 2017.
  4. News: Egypt mosque attack: Death toll rises to 235, state media says. 24 November 2017.
  5. Web site: Sinai mosque massacre: What we know. www.aljazeera.com. 2017-11-24.
  6. Web site: Lee, Ian. Laura Smith-Spark. Hamdi Alkhshali. Egypt hunts for killers after mosque attack leaves at least 235 dead. CNN. 2017-11-25. 2017-11-25. Gunmen fired on people fleeing after explosions took place at the mosque between Bir al-Abed and the city of al-Arish..
  7. News: Egyptian officials say 9 killed in explosion in north Sinai . AP . Associated Press . 23 October 2019 . 7 February 2020 . Times of Israel.
  8. News: Unidentified missile kills family in Bir al-Abd, Egyptian security forces thwart suicide attack in Arish . . 14 October 2019 . 7 February 2020.