Egypt continues to reel in shock after army general Adel Ragaei was assassinated on the weekend in Cairo. He was shot dead on Saturday by two assailants on a motorbike. His driver was also killed in the attack.

Adel Ragaei was not a public figure but a prominent army general. He has served before with the forces fighting the armed militants in northern sinai. He was also known to be popular with the locals in Rafah and sheikh Zuwayed where the army crackdown is taking place.

In response, the Egyptian president issued a statement calling on all security to be raised in government institutions and vital and strategic areas. Experts say Saturday's assassination shows there is a change in tactics by the terrorist elements

"It's a major change because it's the first time they assassinate an important army officer inside greater Cairo and the assassination took place at his home not his work," Maj. Gen. Samir Ragheb with Arab Foudation for Strategic Studies, said.

The attack was claimed by an unknown group affiliated to the outlawed Muslim brotherhood.
In a 3 year crackdown, the army and police have succeeded in weakening the enormous military and financial capabilites of terrorist groups in northern sinai.

Experts say aa a result, the militias have been dismantled into smaller,weaker groups that operate individually .
And they want to leave an impact.

"They succeded in their main target which is to send a message that the army has failed in protecting it's own leaders and for the citizens to feel that terrorism is getting closer to them. We can link this to the assassination attempt on the prosecutor general in East Cairo recently. This increases the potential targets by the terrorists and puts a new burden on the efforts of the security forces," Maj. Gen. Samir Ragheb

The assasination attempts aim to weaken the morale of the army and the people in the war on terror. However, the president says the crackdown will not stop until all terrorists have been eliminated from the country.