Saudi FM Supports Egypt's Efforts in Fighting Terrorism

An official source at the Saudi Foreign Ministry expressed the Kingdom's support for Egypt's efforts to combat terrorism in northern Sinai.

In an official statement the ministry also announced the Kingdom's full solidarity with Egypt in fighting against terrorism and extremism.

The statement offered condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims, the Egyptian government and to the brotherly people, wishing the wounded a speedy recovery."

On Saturday, eight people were reportedly killed, including an officer, on Friday during a terrorist attack on an Egyptian military checkpoint near the northern Sinai town of Bir al-Abed. The Islamic State group (ISIS) reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack.

The Egyptian military issued a statement in response saying that it has exacted a heavy toll on terrorists in the northern Sinai in recent weeks, killing 118 of them, destroying their armored vehicles, motorcycles, and hideouts, but that it has also lost a number of its own men.

An Egyptian military spokesman said that seven soldiers and one officer were killed during fighting while conducting searches.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi told the annual opening session of the U.N. General Assembly earlier this week that more needs to be done to fight terrorism and that countries that support it should be sanctioned.

He said terrorism is the scourge of our times and that it is necessary to hold everyone accountable for supporting terrorists.

Egyptian media has frequently accused both Qatar and Turkey of supporting Islamic State and other terrorist groups.