Report: Egypt security officials reach temporary cease-fire with Sinai militants
Egyptian security officials have reached a temporary
cease-fire agreement with heads of the radical Salafi organizations in the
Sinai Peninsula, according to an Egyptian media report released on Monday.
The newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm reported that a delegation
sent by Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi met with Salafi leaders in two mosques
in the city of Sheikh Zayed on Saturday and reached an agreement to free
prisoners, as well as discontinue fighting for a week.
It was also reported that Morsi’s chief of staff is
expected to travel to Sinai, and meet with representatives of the Salafi
organizations in person, in attempts to create a framework for two-sided
discourse and stability in the peninsula.
An Egyptian security official that participated in the
meetings stated that the negotiations began following the arrival of a senior
Egyptian security official, and a temporary, 48-hour halt of military activity
laid the groundwork for the agreements that ensued.
It was also reported that the meetings were initiated by
heads of organizations loyal to Islamic Jihad, which called for an end to the
fighting, in order to stop the bloodshed that followed the Egyptian military
operation.
Meanwhile, the newspaper Al-Ahram quoted a senior
Egyptian security official as saying that the operation will continue, as the
Egyptian military is continuing its efforts to destroy underground tunnels used
for smuggling goods in and out of Gaza. The official stated that to date, 15%
of the total work has been completed, and there are over 1,000 tunnels
connecting the two territories.
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