US carrier crosses Suez Canal into Red Sea

PORT SAID, Egypt — An official at Egypt’s Suez Canal says a US aircraft carrier and a destroyer have crossed the waterway from the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea.

The official says the US warships crossed Friday after 14 hours of heightened security along the canal. The official says that included closing all roads along the canal and having Egyptian military helicopters provide air support.

The official said the aircraft carrier was the USS Nimitz, based in Everett, Wash. He did not identify the destroyer.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief reporters.

In September, the US Navy increased its presence in the Middle East to keep watch over Syria amid of threats to strike the country over a chemical weapons attack there.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.