Egypt, US discuss security in the region

Egyptian Defence Minister Sedki Sobhi discussed regional security and “terrorism” with United States Secretary of Defence Chuck Hagel over the phone on Tuesday evening.
A readout of the phone call provided by the US Department of Defense said the top defence officials spoke to “exchange information about the security environment” in the region.
“The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to continuing a strong security partnership between the United States and Egypt,” the readout stated.
Egypt has been waging a wide-scale campaign against militancy, which has surged since July 2013. Sinai has been hit the hardest by attacks, with the latest being a series of blasts last Thursday which killed more than 30 people but other parts of the country have seen attacks as well.
In November, Egypt’s most active militant group Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, which claimed responsibility for numerous attacks including last Thursday’s, pledged allegiance to Islamic State fighters in Iraq and Syria.
The US, meanwhile, has been leading a coalition in the region against Islamic State fighters, who have gained control over large territories in Iraq and Syria in 2014.