EGYPT’S president has vowed to press ahead with the country’s war against terrorism, secure its borders and hunt down militants, after an attack on the country’s police force.
President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi’s remarks this afternoon came nearly 48 hours after at least 16 policemen were killed in a brazen ambush by militants south-west of Cairo.
Security officials said the death toll reached 54, making it one of the worst attacks against Egypt’s police in years.
It was not immediately possible to reconcile the conflicting reports.
At a meeting with Egypt’s top security officials today, el-Sissi said: “Egypt will continue its confrontation against terrorism and those financing and standing behind it, with strength, decisiveness and efficiency, until it’s curbed.”
The ambush began when security forces acting on intelligence moved against a purported militant hideout 85 miles outside Cairo.
His first remarks on the massacre came as there was confusion over the police raid gone wrong, with a lack of information, and conflicting accounts to media outlets.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here