Egyptian President Lauds Efforts of Armed Forces

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi during his meeting with members of the Armed Forces (Egyptian Presidency)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi during his meeting with members of the Armed Forces (Egyptian Presidency)
TT

Egyptian President Lauds Efforts of Armed Forces

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi during his meeting with members of the Armed Forces (Egyptian Presidency)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi during his meeting with members of the Armed Forces (Egyptian Presidency)

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi lauded the Armed Forces' efforts in carrying out their missions with all dedication.

He confirmed that the Egyptian people appreciate the efforts and sacrifices of "the heroes of the Armed Forces in defense of Egypt's security and safety."

Sisi performed Friday prayers in al-Mushir Tantawy Mosque in Cairo and then met with several Armed Forces commanders on the occasion of the 10th of Ramadan War victory.

Sisi was accompanied by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli, Minister of Defense Mohamed Zaki, Egypt's Army Chief of Staff Osama Askar, and ministers of justice, Awqaf, interior, local development, and state for military production.

Cairo Governor Khaled Abdel Aal, Egypt's Mufti Shawqi Allam, Armed Forces commanders, officers, and soldiers also attended the prayers.

After the Friday prayers, Sisi met with the Armed Forces' commanders, extending his greetings to them on the 10th of Ramadan War victory. The President held talks with the commanders, tackling all local, regional and international developments and their impact on the region.

Earlier, the Minister of Defense said during the Egyptian Armed Forces' celebration that the anniversary of the tenth of Ramadan is a victory that embodied the heroism and sacrifices of the armed forces in recovering the land of Sinai.

He said they restored Egypt's pride and dignity and the Arab nation's glory and pride, stressing it will remain a great day in the history of the Egyptian military.

The Minister reiterated that the armed forces will always remain a strong protector of Egypt that defends its national security and preserves its sanctities and the integrity of its lands.



Lebanon's PM Says Country to Begin Disarming South Litani to Ensure State Presence

President Joseph Aoun met with PM Najib Mikati at Baabda palace. (NNA)
President Joseph Aoun met with PM Najib Mikati at Baabda palace. (NNA)
TT

Lebanon's PM Says Country to Begin Disarming South Litani to Ensure State Presence

President Joseph Aoun met with PM Najib Mikati at Baabda palace. (NNA)
President Joseph Aoun met with PM Najib Mikati at Baabda palace. (NNA)

Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Friday that the state will begin disarming southern Lebanon, particularly the south Litani region, to establish its presence across the country.
"We are in a new phase - in this new phase, we will start with south Lebanon and south Litani specifically in order to pull weapons so that the state can be present across Lebanese territory," Mikati said.

Mikati's remarks followed a meeting with newly elected President Joseph Aoun at the Baabda Presidential Palace. Aoun was elected as the country's new head of state by parliament on Thursday, ending a vacancy in the presidency that had persisted for over two years.

In his address to parliament, Aoun pledged to control weapons outside the state's control, saying the government is the sole entity authorized to possess and use military force and weapons.
A ceasefire agreement that ended the 13-month-conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in November has given the Lebanese party 60 days to end its armed presence in southern Lebanon, while Israeli forces are also required to withdraw from the area over the same period.
The ceasefire agreement says Israeli forces will move south of the Blue Line “in a phased manner” within 60 days. The Lebanese army’s troops will deploy “in parallel” to the positions.