Egyptian Chief of Staff Praises Role of Army in Restoring Security in Sinai

The Chief of Staff of the Egyptian Army, Lieutenant-General Osama Askar, during the Bashir 22 project (Military spokesman)
The Chief of Staff of the Egyptian Army, Lieutenant-General Osama Askar, during the Bashir 22 project (Military spokesman)
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Egyptian Chief of Staff Praises Role of Army in Restoring Security in Sinai

The Chief of Staff of the Egyptian Army, Lieutenant-General Osama Askar, during the Bashir 22 project (Military spokesman)
The Chief of Staff of the Egyptian Army, Lieutenant-General Osama Askar, during the Bashir 22 project (Military spokesman)

The Chief of Staff of the Egyptian Army, Lieutenant-General Osama Askar, praised the role of the armed forces in restoring stability and security in Sinai.

Askar relayed the “greetings and appreciation” of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Defense Minister Mohamed Zaki for the “heroic role” the forces have manifested in North Sinai.

The Chief of Staff spoke at the training project (Bashir 22), which is being conducted by armored units of the Second Field Army. It comes within the framework of the annual combat training plan for units of the armed forces.

A military statement noted that Askar discussed the procedures with the commanders and officers to ensure they fully understood and implemented all the tasks assigned to them with high professionalism.

Terrorist attacks of militants affiliated with ISIS decreased in North Sinai after years of persistent army operations.

Al-Sisi has repeatedly declared that cleansing the country of terrorism, and the “development of Sinai, come as top priority for the political leadership.”

The government is setting very ambitious plans for projects in North Sinai.

In 2019, Sisi said the investment of the projects in Sinai is estimated at EGP800 billion.

Egypt hopes the development of Port Said, Ismailia, and Suez and the governorates of North and South Sinai will create an integrated economic cluster and help the region become an attractive location for investment.



Israel Apologizes for Strike That Killed 3 Lebanese Soldiers

Smoke billows from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Tibnit on October 21, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (AFP)
Smoke billows from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Tibnit on October 21, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (AFP)
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Israel Apologizes for Strike That Killed 3 Lebanese Soldiers

Smoke billows from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Tibnit on October 21, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (AFP)
Smoke billows from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Tibnit on October 21, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (AFP)

The Israeli military apologized on Monday for a strike in southern Lebanon that killed three Lebanese soldiers.

The military said it struck a truck on Sunday that had entered an area where it had previously targeted a Hezbollah truck transporting a launcher and missiles.

The military said soldiers were not aware that the second truck belonged to the Lebanese army.

The military said it is “not operating against the Lebanese Army and apologizes for these unwanted circumstances.”

Lebanon’s army is a respected institution within the country, but it is not powerful enough to impose its will on Hezbollah or defend Lebanon from Israel’s invasion. The army has largely kept to the sidelines as Israel and Hezbollah have traded blows over the past year.

Israeli forces invaded southern Lebanon at the beginning of the month and have been operating in a narrow strip along the border. Israeli airstrikes have pounded large areas of the country, targeting what Israel says are Hezbollah sites.

The armed group has fired thousands of rockets, missiles and drones into Israel since Oct. 8, 2023, the day after its ally Hamas launched a surprise attack into Israel, triggering the war in Gaza.