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Egypt: Pilot Killed in Sinai Warplane Crash

Military forces are seen in North Sinai, Egypt, (File photo: Reuters)
Military forces are seen in North Sinai, Egypt, (File photo: Reuters)
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Egypt: Pilot Killed in Sinai Warplane Crash

Military forces are seen in North Sinai, Egypt, (File photo: Reuters)
Military forces are seen in North Sinai, Egypt, (File photo: Reuters)

An Egyptian fighter jet crashed during military drills in Sinai province on Wednesday, killing its pilot, announced army spokesman Colonel Tamer al-Rifai.

Rifai said that an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident had been launched.

“During training exercises conducted by the Egyptian Air Force on 14/1/2020, a military aircraft went down, resulting in the death of its pilot,” Rifai said in a statement, adding: “We are now working to uncover what caused the crash.”

He didn’t give further details.

Earlier, Egypt’s Armed Forces launched military exercises “Qader 2020” in strategic positions nationwide to increase the army’s readiness to protect the country amid recent regional developments, including the armed conflict in Libya.

The spokesman said that elements of the Second and Third Field Armies and the Central and Southern Regions have carried out a number of combat activities in cooperation with all the main branches and the general command of the armed forces.

The drills began last Friday, days after Turkey announced the deployment of forces in Libya to support Fayez al-Sarraj’s Government of National Accord (GNA) against Libyan National Army (LNA) commander Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar.

According to the statement, Tuesday’s activities included elements of the Second Field Army that executed a number of raids on terrorist outposts in North Sinai. They also trained in enhancing security measures in tunnels, crossings, and ferries.

Furthermore, drills focused on ensuring security measures for navigation along the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean coast, in cooperation with Air and Naval Forces.

Elements of the Third Field Army also carried out a number of drills in raiding terrorist outposts in Central Sinai, while continuing to secure navigation at the Suez Canal, in cooperation with the Air and Naval Forces.

They also trained on securing vital targets and tourist destinations in Central and Southern Sinai.

The training included elements from the Central Military Region, which carried out drills to assist Field Armies and military areas, while elements of the Southern Military Region raised the levels of readiness by securing the Southern border with Sudan and Libya and carrying out many activities within the Region.

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Syrian Caretaker Government to Hike Public Sector Salaries by 400% Next Month

Graffiti of the Syrian revolution flag is painted on a mosaic of former Syrian President Hafez al-Assad after the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria January 2, 2025. (Reuters)
Graffiti of the Syrian revolution flag is painted on a mosaic of former Syrian President Hafez al-Assad after the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria January 2, 2025. (Reuters)
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Syrian Caretaker Government to Hike Public Sector Salaries by 400% Next Month

Graffiti of the Syrian revolution flag is painted on a mosaic of former Syrian President Hafez al-Assad after the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria January 2, 2025. (Reuters)
Graffiti of the Syrian revolution flag is painted on a mosaic of former Syrian President Hafez al-Assad after the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria January 2, 2025. (Reuters)

Syria's finance minister said on Sunday the government would hike salaries for many public sector employees by 400% next month after completing an administrative restructuring of ministries to boost efficiency and accountability.

The increase, estimated to cost 1.65 trillion Syrian pounds, or about $127 million at current rates, will be financed by existing state resources plus a combination of regional aid, new investments, and efforts to unfreeze Syrian assets held abroad.

"(This is) the first step towards an emergency solution to the economic reality in the country," Mohammed Abazeed, the finance minister in Syria's caretaker government, told Reuters, adding that this month's wages for public sector staff would be paid out this week.

These measures are part of a broader strategy by Syria's new caretaker government to stabilize the country's economy following 13 years of conflict and sanctions.

Salaries of Syria's public sector employees under toppled President Bashar al-Assad's regime were around $25 a month, putting them below the poverty line, along with the majority of the country's population, Abazeed said.

The hike would follow a comprehensive evaluation of up to 1.3 million registered public sector employees to remove fictitious employees from the payroll and would affect those with sufficient expertise, academic qualifications, and the necessary skills for reconstruction.

Syria's state treasury is facing liquidity challenges emerging from a war. The majority of money available in the central bank is Syrian currency, which has lost much of its value. However, the new government was promised assistance from regional and Arab countries, the minister said.

"The launch of investments in the country in the near future will also benefit the state treasury and allow us to finance this salary increase," he said, adding the central bank currently has sufficient funds to finance the next few months.

The government expects to retrieve up to $400 million in frozen Syrian assets abroad, which could co-finance the initial government expenses.

Syria's caretaker government is also discussing exempting taxpayers, as much as possible, from penalties and interest and working on overhauling the tax system within the next three months to achieve tax justice for all taxpayers, with a first draft expected within four months.

"By the end of this year, we expect having a well-designed tax system that takes the interests of all taxpayers into account," he added.