Egypt Army Vows To Pursue 'Terrorists' Across Country

The Egyptian army said Friday that it would "continue to pursue all extremist and terrorist elements in the Sinai Peninsula and across the country."



The statements came following a Friday meeting between the army's top brass and President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi to discuss Friday's attacks in the northeastern Sinai Peninsula that left dozens of soldiers dead or injured.



"The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces held a meeting to discuss and analyze the terrorist attacks that occurred yesterday in North Sinai," army spokesman Mohamed Samir said in a Facebook statement.



"These cowardly terrorist acts will not deter us from preforming our sacred duty of uprooting terrorism," he asserted.



"The armed forces will continue carrying out raids and pursuing all terrorist and extremist elements in Sinai – and the rest of the country – in cooperation with the police and with the support of the Egyptian people," he added.



On Thursday night, militants carried out a spate of attacks on military facilities and personnel in the northeastern Sinai Peninsula, leaving at least 26 dead and 45 injured.



Responsibility for the attacks was claimed in the early hours of Friday by the "Welayat Sinai" militant group, formerly known as Ansar Beit al-Maqdis.



Active in northern Sinai, the group acquired its current name after reportedly swearing allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) militant movement.



The Muslim Brotherhood, for its part, condemned the attacks on Twitter, saying: "Our warmest condolences to the families of the slain soldiers and the Egyptian people. We categorically denounce all acts violence."



The Brotherhood, the group from which ousted President Mohamed Morsi hails, was designated a "terrorist organization" by the Egyptian government in late 2013.



www.aa.com.tr/en - Kahire