U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis met Saturday with Egyptian officials to discuss cooperation between the two countries, the first stop on a trip that will also take him to Jordan, Pakistan and Kuwait. According to a Department of Defense statement, Mattis' visit was part of a five-day trip "to re-affirm the enduring U.S. commitment to partnership in the Middle East, West Africa and South Asia." Mattis was scheduled to meet with el-Sissi and Defense Minister Sedki Sobhi. Following the Sinai attack, el-Sissi instructed his security forces to use "all brute force" and gave them three months to restore stability in the volatile northern part of the Sinai Peninsula. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visited Cairo on Wednesday, noting that military cooperation between the two countries has increased recently as Egypt placed new orders for Russian weapons.

Source: ABC News December 02, 2017 09:46 UTC