The Egyptian military is working with the Israel Defense Forces against terrorists in the Sinai Peninsula, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi confirmed in an interview with "60 Minutes" on CBS.
In excerpts from the interview that were released on Thursday, the Egyptian leader was asked about the cooperation Cairo and Jerusalem maintain and whether it was, in fact, the closest it has been since the two countries signed a peace treaty in 1979.
"That is correct," el-Sissi said. "We have a wide range of cooperation with the Israelis."
Egypt has been fighting an insurgency in the Sinai Peninsula for several years, battling an estimated 1,000 Islamic State-affiliated terrorists that Cairo has allowed the Israelis to attack by air.
In February, Egypt launched operation "Sinai 2018" in an effort to rid the peninsula of terrorists.
In recent years Israel has allowed the Egyptian military to boost its presence in the peninsula several times as part of the country's war on terror.
Last year, The New York Times reported that Israel launched airstrikes against ISIS targets in northern Sinai with Egyptian approval.
Citing unnamed American and British sources, the report claimed Israeli aircraft struck ISIS targets in Sinai some 100 times in two years.
Cairo denied the report, insisting that the Egyptian military is the sole entity conducting military operations in north Sinai, where most ISIS-affiliated terrorists are believed to be hiding.
Other than on security issues, Israel and Egypt maintain close diplomatic ties, as Egypt is the chief mediator between Israel and Hamas, the terrorist group that controls the Gaza Strip.
CBS will air the "60 Minutes" interview with el-Sissi on Sunday, Jan. 6.
