Sisi expresses appreciation for security bodies’ role in combating terrorism

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi expressed on Sunday his appreciation of the country’s security bodies in maintaining stability and protecting the state in comments made during an unplanned visit to the State Security headquarters in Cairo.

The Egyptian president said that the state is determined to provide all support to enhance the capabilities of the State Security department in face of the ongoing threat of terrorism.

He also stressed that all of the country’s security bodies aim to preserve Egypt’s national, economic, political, and security institutions.

Egypt has been battling an intensified Islamist insurgency in North Sinai, centred mainly in Rafah, Sheikh Zuweid and El-Arish cities, since the ouster of former Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013.

Militants have killed hundreds of security personnel over the course of the insurgency, while the army has said that hundreds of militants have been killed in its security campaigns.

Some militant attacks have reached other parts of the country, including the capital.

Last month, a series of killings targeted the Christian community in North Sinai after the Egyptian affiliate of the Islamic State militant group called on its supporters to attack Christians across the country.

The group made the call in a video where it claimed responsibility for a deadly attack on a church in Cairo in December.

In November 2014, the Sinai-based militant group Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (ISIS) group.

Source: Ahram online