Egypt's President gives Army three months to restore Sinai security

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Wednesday gave the country's security forces three months to end militant attacks and restore calm in the Sinai Peninsula after last week's deadly attack in the region killed over 300 people.

During his speech at a ceremony celebrating Prophet Muhammad's birth, Al-Sisi ordered Army Chief of Staff Mohamed Farid Hegazi as well as the Ministry of Interior and the police forces to bring back peace to Sinai, Efe news reported.

"You, Lt. Gen. Mohamed Farid Hegazi, are responsible, within three months, to restore security and stability in Sinai," Al-Sisi said, addressing Hegazi.

"Military and police forces are determined to continue the war against terrorism until it is uprooted and we are confident that we will be, God willing, victorious," Al-Sisi added.

He ordered the Army to use all force necessary to secure Sinai, saying that "the lives of our martyrs will not be lost in vain".

Last week, militants launched an attack against the Al-Rawdah mosque in Bir al-Abd -- located 40 kilometres west of the North Sinai capital of Al-Arish -- killing 305 people, including 27 children and injuring another 128 people.

No terror group has claimed responsibility for the attack.