Sisi says Egypt keen to enhance ties with Russia

CAIRO, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi said Wednesday Egypt is keen on enhancing relations with Russia at all levels, especially in the military domain, official MENA news agency reported.

Sisi's comments came during his meeting with visiting Russian Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu.

The Middle East is confronting different challenges, atop of which comes terrorism, Sisi said.

The Egyptian President also noted that the current situation requires enhancing joint cooperation to overcome these challenges and restore stability in the region.

For his part, Shoigu said that his country backs Egypt in its fight against terrorism.

Egypt has been fighting against a wave of terror activities that killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers since the military toppled former Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013 in response to mass protests against his one-year rule and his currently outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group.

Terror attacks in Egypt used to be centered in North Sinai before spreading nationwide and killing hundreds of policemen and soldiers over the past few years.

On Friday, a terrorist attack against a mosque in North Sinai killed at least 305 Muslim worshippers, including children, and wounded over 120 others.

Although no group has yet claimed responsibility for the mosque attack, fingers are pointed at a Sinai-based group loyal to IS group, which has claimed most of the terrorist operations in Egypt over the past few years.