Egypt's Sisi Decries Attacks, Hints At Brotherhood Complicity

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi has said that his country was fighting "the fiercest secret organization of the last two centuries" in a likely reference to the embattled Muslim Brotherhood group.



The statements were made on Friday during al-Sisi's visit to Addis Ababa to attend an African Union summit.



Al-Sisi had to cut short his visit and return to Egypt following a string of attacks by militants in the northeastern quadrant of Egypt's Sinai Peninsula that left dozens of soldiers dead.



"The [Egyptian] economic conference will be held as scheduled on March 13 through 15 and Egyptians must maintain their high morale," Egypt's state-run news agency "ed al-Sisi as saying.



"Egypt is fighting the fiercest secret organization of the last two centuries," al-Sisi added, in a probable reference to the 85-year-old Muslim Brotherhood.



On Thursday night, militants carried out a spate of attacks on military facilities and personnel in the northern 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