August 21, 2012
Egypt to move tanks into Sinai for first time since 1973
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An Egyptian army truck carries tanks and vehicles to Rafah city on Aug. 10. Photo by REUTER/Mohamed Abd El Ghany
Egypt reportedly is planning to introduce tanks in the Sinai for the first time since the 1973 war with Israel.
The plans, part of the country’s attempts to shut down terrorists in the area, are being finalized by Egypt’s newly appointed defense minister, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Reuters reported.
The movement of military hardware into the Sinai comes after a deadly attack earlier this month on Egyptian border guards that left 16 dead. Part of the assault included an attempt to breach the border with Israel. Israel reportedly had warned Egypt about the attack before it happened.
Following the attack, Israel agreed to the movement of additional Egyptian troops into the region to control the terrorists.
Under the 1979 peace treaty between Egypt and Israel, Israel agreed to withdraw its troops and citizens from the Sinai and return it to Egypt in return for normalized relations and a restriction on the number of Egyptian troops allowed to enter the Sinai, particularly near the border with Israel.
Israel has called on Egypt to control the terrorists in the Sinai.
Israeli officials have not commented to local media on the reported plans, but have said that Israeli and Egyptian security officials are in contact with each other.
