Security Cooperation With Israel At Unprecedented Level, Says President

The Egyptian and Israeli governments have significantly increased military cooperation on the Sinai peninsula, according to a CBS News interview with the Egyptian president, as reported by the Jerusalem Post.

Military cooperation with the Israelis in the fight against Islamist militants has reached an unprecedented level since 2014, Egyptian President Abdel Fateh el Sisi told CBS News on Dec. 30.

Israel shares a 150-mile (240-km) border with the Sinai peninsula.

The Egyptian and Israeli military meet regularly to exchange intelligence and Cairo has approved Israeli airstrikes in the region, according to foreign reports. The main jihadist group on the peninsula, Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, has conducted deadly attacks against Israeli troops patrolling the border.

After the interview, the Egyptian ambassador to the United States contacted CBS to request that the interview not be aired. The network said it would go forward with the program.