Egypt's president orders a major army campaign in Northern Sinai weeks before his re-election bid.

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is vowing to wipe out his enemies in Sinai in the run-up to his re-election bid next month.

The peninsula has become a stronghold for fighters linked to Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). They are blamed for a series of bomb, gun and suicide attacks that have killed hundreds in Egypt.

A major operation was launched on Friday with Egyptian ground, air and naval forces along with border guards and police on the hunt - possibly with the help of Israel.

The New York Times says Israeli warplanes have carried out covert air strikes in Egypt with the Egyptian president's approval. Egypt has denied the report and the Israelis aren't commenting.

But is the campaign by security forces against what Sisi calls "terrorist hotbeds" the answer?

Presenter: Mohamed Jamjoum

Guests:

Ahmed Badawi - senior researcher for the Centre for Middle Eastern and North African Politics at Free University of Berlin

Mohannad Sabry - journalist and author of Sinai: Egypt's Linchpin, Gaza's Lifeline, Israel's Nightmare

Timothy Kaldas - non-resident fellow at The Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy

Source: Al Jazeera News