Egypt requests Israeli permission for Sinai offensive

The Egyptian military has asked Israel to allow it to send troops into the Sinai Peninsula for an offensive against terrorists there.

Egypt made the request this week, the Times of London reported, as clashes between the military and Islamist factions continue in Egypt. Under the terms of the 1979 Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty, Egypt must ask Israel for authorization before sending troops into the Sinai.

Egypt received authorization for troop movement in the Sinai earlier this month, and has asked for such authorization repeatedly since unrest in the country began in early 2011.