Egyptian leader pledges to fight terror

CAIRO — In his first remarks after a deadly attack on the country’s police force, Egypt’s president vowed on Sunday to press ahead with the country’s war against terrorism, secure its borders and hunt down militants.

President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi El-Sissi’s remarks came nearly 48 hours after authorities officially announced that at least 16 policemen were killed in an ambush by militants southwest of Cairo. Security officials told The Associated Press and other media outlets that the death toll reached 54, making it one of the worst attacks against Egypt’s police in years. However, it wasn’t immediately possible to reconcile the conflicting reports.

Chairing a meeting attended by the country’s top security officials, el-Sissi said: “Egypt will continue its confrontation against terrorism and those financing and standing behind it, with strength, decisiveness and efficiency, until it’s curbed.”

The ambush began when security forces acting on intelligence moved against a purported militant hideout some 85 miles outside Cairo. Backed by armored personnel carriers and led by senior counterterrorism officers, the police contingent drew fire and rocket-propelled grenades, according to the security officials. What happened next has not been clarified, but many officers were killed and others injured.

AP Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi (center) chairs a meeting attended by the country’s top security officials, including representatives of the Defense and Interior ministries, Sunday in Cairo, in this photo provided by Egypt’s state news agency.