Egypt, US to boost anti-terror ties after deadly Sinai attack
Kurilla, who oversees US forces in the ME, in a meeting with Sisi, offers his condolences and underscores the persistent threat from extremists
Egyptian President Abdel Fatah Al Sisi expressed hopes for deeper US counter-terrorism ties during talks with a top American general late Monday, following a deadly weekend atack by militants in the Sinai peninsula, a US military official said on Monday.
The atack was claimed by Daesh militant group and killed 11 Egyptian troops.
Sisi had earlier presided over a meeting of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which includes the military’s top commanders, to discuss the consequences of the atack, his office said without offering further details.
The extremist group announced its claim of the atack in a statement carried by its Aamaq news agency.
The authenticity of the statement could not be verified but it was released on Telegram as similar claims have been in the past.
Militants descended on a checkpoint at a water pumping station, striking with an explosiverigged vehicle and firing heavy weapons from pick-up trucks, Egyptian security sources said.
It was one of the most deadly atacks in recent years in the northern Sinai.
US Army General Michael “Erik” Kurilla, who oversees US forces in the Middle East, said following Monday’s talks in Cairo that the atack underscored the persistent threat from extremists.
“I offered my condolences and my view of the Daesh threat,” said Kurilla, head of US Central Command.
Sisi’s office said in a statement following his meeting with Kurilla that terrorism was the foremost challenge to Egypt’s security and stability and required “collective efforts to combat it.” Since 2018, the Egyptian military has expanded its control over populated coastal areas of Northern Sinai between the Gaza Strip in the east and the Suez Canal in the west, allowing for a return of some civilian activity and the development of some infrastructure.
However, sporadic atacks have continued with militants seeking refuge in desert expanses south of the coast and using different tactics such as sniping or planting explosives.
The latest atack took place on Saturday morning on the road leading east from the Suez
Canal to Hasanah in the centre of Northern Sinai, Egyptian security sources said.
A senior US military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Sisi and other Egyptian officials sought a deeper counterterrorism relationship in meetings with Kurilla on Monday.
The US military official added that Kurilla offered to send US Rear Admiral Mitchell Bradley, who leads US special operations forces in the Middle East, to Egypt to offer “guidance and additional assistance.” Kurilla’s visit, his first since taking the helm of US Central Command in April, comes less than four months since President Joe Biden’s administration announced it would cut $130 million in military aid to Egypt.
US officials have said the American relationship with Egypt is complex.
The most-populous Arab country is a vital ally and key voice in the Arab world.
US military officials have long stressed Egypt’s role expediting the passage of US warships through the Suez Canal and granting overflight for American military aircrat.
Kurilla told reporters travelling with him that the Us-egypt relationship was critical and that his visit gave him “a new appreciation for Egypt’s prominent role in the Middle East.” “This strategic partnership is important to me, the United States, and CENTCOM,” he said, using an acronym for Central Command.
Kurilla’s predecessor, Frank Mckenzie, a now retired four-star Marine general, told Congress in March that he believed the United States would provide Egypt with F-15 aircrat, manufactured by Boeing.
Egypt’s Finance Minister Mohamed Maait told parliament on Monday that he expects spending to rise by 15 per cent and its budget deficit by 14.5 per cent in the fiscal year that begins on July 1 as it faces fallout from the Ukraine crisis and continued pain from the coronavirus pandemic.
Spending for the 2022/23 fiscal year will rise to 2.07 trillion Egyptian pounds ($112 billion) from a projected 1.79 trillion pounds this year, he said, presenting his drat budget to lawmakers.