US sending more troops to Egypt’s Sinai
US sending more troops to Egypt’s Sinai
The United States will send more troops to north Sinai to boost the security of international peacekeepers, as the Egyptian military continues its operations against “terrorists’ in the peninsula.
2 min read
There are about 720 US soldiers in Sinai to monitor the Egyptian-Israeli peace agreement [Getty]
The US will send additional troops to improve protection for peacekeepers in the northern Sinai Peninsula, after a recent roadside bomb attack killed two Fijians troops and wounded four Americans.
The US will deploy more troops and support equipment to North Sinai province in the aftermath of a roadside bomb attack last week that killed and wounded Sinai-based international peacekeepers, unnamed sources have told AP.
The officials who spoke under the condition of anonymity said the deployment will include at least 75 more troops, a light-infantry platoon, a surgical team, surveillance equipment and other assets.
They added the additional security measures were in the works before the recent attack and that the US is concerned of the safety of the Multinational Force and Observers.
The US has about 720 soldiers in Sinai as part of the multinational force that monitors compliance with the 1979 peace treaty between Egypt and Israel.
Egypt has been battling a long-running insurgency in Sinai that has grown since the 2011 popular uprising against former president Hosni Mubarak. After the army overthrew his Islamist successor, Mohammed Morsi, in July 2013, attacks have surged. A local jihadi group pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group [IS] last year, renaming itself Wilayat Sinai (Sinai Province) and killing scores of soldiers.
Egyptian military spokesman Mohamed Samir announced on Sunday via social media that the army had killed 53 “terrorists” and captured 52 “outlaws” on the seventh day of military operations in Sinai against Islamist insurgents.
On Monday, Egyptian security forces accidently killed 12 Mexicans and Egyptians and injured 10, mistaking a tourist convoy for militants.
The US will deploy more troops and support equipment to North Sinai province in the aftermath of a roadside bomb attack last week that killed and wounded Sinai-based international peacekeepers, unnamed sources have told AP.
The officials who spoke under the condition of anonymity said the deployment will include at least 75 more troops, a light-infantry platoon, a surgical team, surveillance equipment and other assets.
They added the additional security measures were in the works before the recent attack and that the US is concerned of the safety of the Multinational Force and Observers.
The US has about 720 soldiers in Sinai as part of the multinational force that monitors compliance with the 1979 peace treaty between Egypt and Israel.
Egypt has been battling a long-running insurgency in Sinai that has grown since the 2011 popular uprising against former president Hosni Mubarak. After the army overthrew his Islamist successor, Mohammed Morsi, in July 2013, attacks have surged. A local jihadi group pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group [IS] last year, renaming itself Wilayat Sinai (Sinai Province) and killing scores of soldiers.
Egyptian military spokesman Mohamed Samir announced on Sunday via social media that the army had killed 53 “terrorists” and captured 52 “outlaws” on the seventh day of military operations in Sinai against Islamist insurgents.
On Monday, Egyptian security forces accidently killed 12 Mexicans and Egyptians and injured 10, mistaking a tourist convoy for militants.
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