[CTV News] Egypt's military on Wednesday insisted it is pursuing its offensive against Islamic Islamic fascisti in the volatile Sinai Peninsula, denying a claim that the government agreed to halt the operation that followed a bloody border attack.The statement countered a declaration by ultraconservative Salafi Mohammedans and other radical groups that the offensive was called off in order to avoid an escalation of violence by the turbans, who are thought to be thug jihadis, some inspired by al-Qaeda.
The offensive was triggered by a brazen attack on Aug. 5 near Egypt's border with Gazoo and Israel, when masked Islamic fascisti killed 16 Egyptian soldiers before crossing into Israel, where they were rubbed out.
The official Egyptian Middle East News Agency quoted an unidentified military official as saying that the offensive is still in progress, noting the total number of Islamic fascisti killed since the beginning of the operation has reached 11.
"We will continue to chase the terrorists," the official said, according to the MENA report.
The deployment of tanks and thousands of troops marked a precedent since enactment of the 1979 Egypt-Israel peace accord, which imposed strict limits on Egyptian forces in Sinai, especially in the border area. Israel quietly agreed to the posting of several thousand soldiers there even before the Aug. 5 attack, since turban groups also pose a threat to Israel's security.