Washington: The Egyptian military has reportedly started sweeping out jihadists from the lawless desert of Sinai Peninsula in an effort to combat growing terrorism in the region.
General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has ordered the Egyptian military to step up the fight against the growing coalition of Muslim Brotherhood, Al Qaeda and other radical Muslims gathering in the massive desert peninsula, Fox News reports.
The Egyptian military fought ferocious battles against Islamists in recent weeks in the vast desert region that separates Egypt and Israel.
Some 20,000 or more Egyptian soldiers have gone into Sinai in recent weeks and scores of terrorists have been killed, but the Egyptian forces have also sustained significant losses.
Sisi`s effort to confront terrorism in the peninsula comes without endorsement from the Obama administration, which has denounced the military takeover in Egypt.
An Islamic groups` analyst and a former Israeli military intelligence officer Mordechai Kedar said the State Department sympathized with the Muslim Brotherhood because they wanted Islamists to love America.
According to the 1979 peace agreement between Egypt and Israel, the territory is meant to be controlled by the former.
Sinai`s condition has been deteriorating since the rule of former President Hosni Mubarak`s ended.
According to the report, the things became worse during Morsi`s brief, 12-month tenure.
ANI
