Egypt, U.S. eye counter-terrorism ties in wake of deadly Sinai attack

Mourners and soldiers accompany the coffin containing the body of Egyptian officer Soleman Ali Soleman, who was killed in an armed attack claimed by Islamic State on Saturday in Egypt's Sinai peninsula, during a funeral at his home village Jazirat al-Ahrar, in Al Qalyubia Governorate, Egypt, May 9, 2022. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi expressed hopes for deeper U.S. counter-terrorism ties during talks with a top American general on Monday, following a deadly weekend attack by militants in the Sinai peninsula, a U.S. military official said on Monday.

The attack was claimed by Islamic State and killed 11 Egyptian troops. Militants descended on a checkpoint at a water pumping station, striking with an explosive-rigged vehicle and firing heavy weapons from pick-up trucks, Egyptian security sources said.