CAIRO (AP) — Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has told The Associated Press he is prepared to give whatever support is needed in the fight against the Islamic State group but says military action is not the only answer.

In his first interview with foreign media since taking office in June, el-Sissi on Saturday did not elaborate what support Egypt might give, but appeared to rule out sending troops, saying Iraq's military is sufficient and "it's not an issue of ground troops from abroad."

Instead, he spoke of a "comprehensive strategy" that confronts militants across the region, not just the Islamic State group. He says he warned about the threat of terrorism in the region a year ago but others only understood when Islamic State group fighters overran parts of Iraq.

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