TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Egypt faces a long and difficult battle with militants, the country's president has said, in his first remarks since a deadly attack in the Sinai region.
Abdul Fattah al-Sisi spoke a day after a group linked to Islamic State said it killed at least 32 soldiers and police.
"This battle will be difficult, strong, evil and will take a long time," he said in comments broadcast on state TV, as quoted by BBC News.
Mr Sisi cut short a visit to an African Union summit to return to Egypt in the wake of the Sinai attack.
On Saturday morning he chaired a meeting of the country's Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (Scaf).
Reports say he ended the meeting by issuing a presidential decree to form a new military command for Sinai with the aim of tackling the growing militant threat.
BBC NEWS
