Egypt, Dec 15 (IANS): Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi stressed on Sunday that joint efforts are needed to fight terrorism.

He made the remarks at the 3rd World Youth Forum opened on Saturday in Egypt's Red Sea resort city of Sharm El Sheikh.

Speaking at a session discussing challenges facing international peace and security, the president said terror groups could cause harm to a big country as one or two terrorist operations would stop tourism, Xinhua news agency reported.

He stressed that fight against terrorism requires international efforts and cooperation, even if some countries are not directly affected.

The president also underlined that a united and decisive stance must be taken against countries that support and use terrorism to achieve their goals.

Terrorism prevailed in Egypt since the military ousted former President Mohamed Morsi in early July 2013 in response to mass protests against his 12-month rule and his currently outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group.

Terror attacks killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers in North Sinai province, and they gradually extended to other provinces, where dozens of civilians, mainly Christians, were killed. Most of the attacks were claimed by Sinai State group, based in Egypt's North Sinai province.

The World Youth Forum was inaugurated in 2017. This year, the four-day event, which gathers thousands of young people from over 100 countries, will tackle topics such as industrial revolution, food security, environmental challenges and artificial intelligence.