State Department issues fresh travel warning for Egypt

The US State Department issued a travel warning for Americans traveling to Egypt, urging them to “consider the risks of travel … due to threats from terrorist and violent political opposition groups.” The State Department has prohibited diplomatic personnel from visiting the Western Desert and the Sinai Peninsula, with the exception of Sharm El Sheikh, as long as they travel by air. The warning also prohibits its diplomats from visiting religious sites outside greater Cairo, noting that “terrorists continue to threaten Egypt’s religious minorities and have attacked sites and people associated with the Egyptian Coptic Church.” The warning replaces a previous one from December 2016.