Egyptian Army Vows to Continue Eradicating Terrorism

Military forces are seen in North Sinai, Egypt. Reuters
Military forces are seen in North Sinai, Egypt. Reuters
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Egyptian Army Vows to Continue Eradicating Terrorism

Military forces are seen in North Sinai, Egypt. Reuters
Military forces are seen in North Sinai, Egypt. Reuters

Commander in Chief of the Egyptian Armed Forces and Minister of Defense and Military Production General Sidqi Subhi said that the Egyptian armed forces continue to cooperate with the police to eradicate terrorism and achieve victory.

“The Egyptian military was and still bears the meanings of struggle for the sake of the nation's rise and stability,” Subhi added, noting that “the Egyptian soldier who participated in the Comprehensive Operation Sinai 2018 is an extension of October’s great generation, which achieved victory."

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, for his part, visited one of the air bases in Sinai last week and met with members of the armed forces and police, who are taking part in the comprehensive Sinai 2018 crackdown against terrorists in the area.

Sisi hailed the efforts in combating terror, saying they hold the key to achieving progress and prosperity for their country.

“We will return here soon to celebrate the victory” against the terrorists, he vowed.

A large-scale military operation was launched on February 9 in Sinai, with the participation of a variety of army and police forces against "terrorist elements."

At the end of November, Sisi ordered the army and police to "use all the force" to root out terrorism.

Subhi attended Saturday the ceremony to honor the participating forces in the Comprehensive Operation Sinai 2018, whose term of service expires on April 1.

He praised the heroic role of these men and their commitment to serve in the armed forces despite the end of their recruitment period on March 1, presenting the finest examples of sacrifice and redemption.

He said that these heroes are role models for future generations.

Subhi also conveyed the greetings and appreciation of President Sisi to the soldiers and their families for their efforts in bringing up this generation of citizens, who know exactly what values and good principles are.



Syrian Authorities Announce Closure of Notorious Desert Camp

 A boy carries bricks as he helps to restore a home in al-Qaryatayn, eastern part of Syria's Homs province, Tuesday, June 3, 2025. (AP)
A boy carries bricks as he helps to restore a home in al-Qaryatayn, eastern part of Syria's Homs province, Tuesday, June 3, 2025. (AP)
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Syrian Authorities Announce Closure of Notorious Desert Camp

 A boy carries bricks as he helps to restore a home in al-Qaryatayn, eastern part of Syria's Homs province, Tuesday, June 3, 2025. (AP)
A boy carries bricks as he helps to restore a home in al-Qaryatayn, eastern part of Syria's Homs province, Tuesday, June 3, 2025. (AP)

A notorious desert refugee camp in Syria has closed after the last remaining families returned to their areas of origin, Syrian authorities said on Saturday.

The Rukban camp in Syria's desert was established in 2014, at the height of Syria's civil war, in a de-confliction zone controlled by the US-led coalition fighting the ISIS group, near the borders with Jordan and Iraq.

Desperate people fleeing ISIS extremists and former government bombardment sought refuge there, hoping to cross into Jordan.

Former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government rarely allowed aid to enter the camp and neighboring countries closed their borders to the area, isolating Rukban for years.

After an opposition offensive toppled Assad in December, families started leaving the camp to return home.

The Syrian Emergency Task Force, a US-based organization, said on Friday that the camp was "officially closed and empty, all families and residents have returned to their homes".

Syrian Information Minister Hamza al-Mustafa said on X on Saturday that "with the dismantlement of the Rukban camp and the return of the displaced, a tragic and sorrowful chapter of displacement stories created by the bygone regime's war machine comes to a close".

"Rukban was not just a camp, it was the triangle of death that bore witness to the cruelty of siege and starvation, where the regime left people to face their painful fate in the barren desert," he added.

At its peak, the camp housed more than 100,000 people. Around 8,000 people still lived there before Assad's fall, residing in mud-brick houses, with food and basic supplies smuggled in at high prices.

Syrian minister for emergency situations and disasters Raed al-Saleh said on X said the camp's closure represents "the end of one of the harshest humanitarian tragedies faced by our displaced people".

"We hope this step marks the beginning of a path that ends the suffering of the remaining camps and returns their residents to their homes with dignity and safety," he added.

According to the International Organization for Migration, 1.87 million Syrians have returned to their places of origin since Assad's fall, after they were displaced within the country or abroad.

The IOM says the "lack of economic opportunities and essential services pose the greatest challenge" for those returning home.