Wednesday, February 26 – Egyptian court sentences 26 people to death for plotting Suez Canal attack, after trying them in absentia. (Source: Reuters)
An Islamist insurgency has gained momentum since the army overthrew Egypt president Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood.
The Suez Canal is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. It allows ship transport between Europe and eastern Asia without navigation around Africa. The canal is owned and maintained by the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) of Egypt. Under international treaty, it may be used “in time of war as in time of peace, by every vessel of commerce or of war, without distinction of flag.”
In September 2013, Egyptian authorities announced that a container ship passing through the Suez Canal was attacked by terrorists, who apparently sought to close the strategic waterway.
