Senior Egyptian military officials have said security is being increased at the strategically vital Suez Canal, which is a waterway for shipping a large portion of the world's oil supply. The move follows an increasing number of attacks by Islamist militants on Egyptian army and police facilities in the increasingly lawless Sinai Peninsula. Egypt has already closed the Rafah border crossing with Gaza as a result of recent attacks, which have killed at least eight security officers in the past fortnight alone. The 1979 peace deal between Egypt and Israel gives the Jewish state a veto over the existence of military forces in the Sinai and allows the free passage of Israeli ships through the Suez Canal.

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