Egypt says Sinai campaign coordinated with Israel

[September 08, 2012]  CAIRO (AP) -- Egypt's military spokesman says Cairo has coordinated its ongoing offensive in the Sinai peninsula with Israel and that the campaign does not violate the two nations' peace treaty.

Col. Ahmed Mohammed Ali also told reporters Saturday that five weeks into the operation Egyptian forces have killed 32 people, arrested 38 and destroyed 31 tunnels along the border with Gaza. He did not provide details on those killed or detained.

Egypt launched the offensive following an Aug. 5 militant attack near the border with Israel and Gaza that killed 16 Egyptian soldiers.

The operation has included unprecedented numbers of troops and heavy weapons in Sinai, chunks of which are demilitarized according to the 1979 peace treaty between Egypt and Israel.

[Associated Press]

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