The Egyptian Interior Ministry reported that it managed to identify seven of the assailants who carried out the deadly attack against an Egyptian military base, last month, killing 16 Egyptian border guards and wounding several others. Egyptian Interior Minister, Ahmad Jamal ed-Deen, told the al-Akhbar government-run newspaper in Cairo, that the security forces, and as part of their extensive operations in Sinai, managed to identify seven attackers.
The official did not say whether the seven were actually apprehended, and refused to provide any further details on the issue.
He said that the security forces are still operating against extremist elements and armed groups. The operations started after the attack was carried out against the Egyptian base; the army used air force, tanks, and armored vehicles, and deployed hundreds of Israeli soldiers in Sinai.
It should be noted that Israel “expressed concern” about the deployment of tanks and heavy artillery in Sinai as such deployment violates the Camp David Peace Agreement between the two countries, but several Israeli security and military officials, in addition to political leaders, said that “Israel understands the need for this deployment and operations”.
A number of Israeli officials said that the Egyptian military operations in Sinai do not only protect the security of Egypt, but are also beneficial to Israel and its security along the border with Sinai.
Two weeks ago, Cairo and Tel Aviv managed to reach an understanding regarding the deployment of Egyptian soldiers in the Sinai Peninsula. This deployment is the first since the two countries signed the Camp David Accords in 1978 and 1979.
