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Pentagon deploys additional troops to Egypt's Sinai to boost security

Xinhua, September 11, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Pentagon confirmed Thursday that the United States has deployed an additional 75 U.S. troops and other assets to Egypt's Sinai Peninsula amid intensified security concerns.

The deployment included a light infantry platoon, forward surgical teams and other equipment and vehicles, according to Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook.

"Our concern right now, our top priority, is the safety and security of those U.S. personnel there," Cook said at the daily briefing.

The move came after several U.S. troops with the Multinational Force and Observers' peacekeeping mission were injured last week by a roadside bomb during a routine patrol.

U.S. military officials said before that they believed the attacks were staged by militants from the extremist group the Islamic State (IS) in the region.

However, Cook insisted that the planning of the deployment began before the attacks and was not a result of the incident.

Currently, there are about 720 U.S. soldiers in the Sinai as part of a multinational force to monitor compliance with the 1979 peace treaty between Egypt and Israel. Enditem