High-ranking council takes on Sinai threat

Egyptian military leaders have formed a high-ranking committee to oversee operations in the restive Sinai Peninsula, a government official said. Egypt's state-run Middle East News Agency reported that gunmen in the region fired at military aircraft with heavy machine guns and artillery from the Sinai Peninsula. Egypt launched a crackdown on the area following attacks that left 16 Egyptian police and soldiers dead Sunday. Dubbed Operation Eagle, military sources told Egyptian news service al-Ahram that forces would remain active in the area until "all terrorist and criminal activity is quashed." "The highest-ranking leaders of the country's security apparatuses have formed a committee to run and supervise the operation," the source added on condition of anonymity. The Interior Ministry said Wednesday that military forces in the area had engaged directly with armed groups in the restive peninsula. The area has existed in a security vacuum since the country's revolution last year. Natural gas pipelines feeding Jordan and other downstream consumers were the frequent target of attacks by insurgents. The Muslim Brotherhood blamed Israel for the attacks. Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, a former Muslim Brotherhood figure, fired security personnel in response to the incidents.