Egypt armour deployment in Sinai worries Israel

Jerusalem, 22 Aug - Israel is concerned about the deployment of Egyptian armour in a push against militants in the neighbouring Sinai desert, saying the vehicles' entry wasn't coordinated and is in violation of a 1979 peace treaty, an Israeli official said on Monday. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government has not lodged any formal protest preferring to try and resolve the issue in quiet contacts including U.S. mediation, to avoid worsening ties with Cairo already strained since Hosni Mubarak was toppled by a popular revolt last year. Egyptian security sources said this week they were preparing to deploy aircraft and tanks in Sinai for the first time since a 1973 war with Israel, in a crackdown on Islamist militants blamed for killing 16 border guards in an August 5 attack. The U.S.-brokered 1979 peace treaty between Egypt and Israel sets strict limits on military deployment in the Sinai. (ANA)

FA/ANA/22 August 2012---------