President says Egypt faces long fight to defeat Sinai militants, blames Muslim Brotherhood
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi told his nation to prepare for a long fight to defeat Islamic extremists Saturday following a wave of attacks on security forces in the Sinai Peninsula.
El-Sissi made his televised address as military commanders announced plans to forge a unified command for all armed forces in Sinai.
"We will not leave Sinai for the terrorists," el-Sissi said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Extremists targeting Egyptian military positions killed 31 security force members in a sophisticated and multi-pronged set of attacks Thursday night.
An Islamic State-linked group in Egypt claimed responsibility, but el-Sissi laid the blame on the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamist movement he ousted from power in 2013.
The Egyptian government has long said it is fighting a war on terror. But it has not been able to stem a daily stream of militant attacks despite more than a year of massive military operations in northern Sinai.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Two children, aged 6 and 6 months, were killed Friday in an explosion that the army blamed on the militants.
A military official said the new "unified command" will mean joining the army units in North and South Sinai into a single force. He said this will involve setting up a new headquarters in El-Arish to administer military operations against terrorism.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Thursday's assault was the second major deadly attack on Egyptian security forces in Sinai in the last 6 months. 31 troops were killed in an attack last October.
Attacks on Egyptian security forces dramatically escalated after the military — led by el-Sissi — ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in July 2013.