by WorldTribune Staff, March 1, 2018
Egypt has more than doubled the number of troops it has stationed in the Sinai Peninsula, a Feb. 28 report said.
Egyptian armed forces Maj. Gen. Mohammed el-Shahat said there are currently 88 battalions and a total of 42,630 soldiers in Sinai, Israel’s Channel 11 reported.
The troop increase was approved by Israel, as is required under the terms of the 1979 Egypt-Israel peace agreement, the report said.
Egypt deployed the additional troops to join the ongoing fight against Islamic State (ISIS) in Sinai.
“Whenever they [the Egyptians] ask, we consider it,” a high ranking Israeli source said, according to the report.
The Feb. 28 report comes just weeks after The New York Times reported that Israeli fighter jets, drones and helicopters, with Egypt’s approval, have carried out over 100 airstrikes on jihadist targets in Sinai.
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