The US State Department approved a sale of $2.3 billion worth of equipment to refurbish 43 of Egypt’s Apache helicopters on Thursday, specifically citing Cairo’s fight against Islamic State insurgents in the Sinai Peninsula as among the two countries' mutual interests. The State Department previously greenlit the sale of 10 Apaches to Egypt in November 2018.
Why it matters: Egypt’s government has been battling an insurgency focused in North Sinai that has grown since 2011. The most prominent insurgent group, Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, declared loyalty to the Islamic State in 2014. The fighters have killed hundreds of soldiers and civilians, most notably in the al-Rawda Mosque massacre in November 2017. Egypt’s military launched Comprehensive Operation Sinai in February 2018, and the government of President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi frequently touts by citing growing body counts. Rights groups say the campaign has led to widespread abuses against the local population and has forced thousands of North Sinai residents to leave their homes.