In Photos: Egypt's Chief of Staff Takes Iftar In North Sinai

The Chief of Staff of the Egyptian Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Mohamed Farid, took part in an "Iftar"  party with a number of commanders, officers, non-commissioned officers and soldiers from the counter-terrorism fighters in North Sinai.

The Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces conveyed the greetings and appreciation of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and General Mohamed Zaki, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Minister of Defense and Military Production, to the North Sinai fighters for their national role in clearing the land of Sinai from the gangs of black terrorism.

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Lieutenant General Farid stressed that defending the country and its capabilities and protecting its national security is the sacred mission of the armed forces men, praising what the heroes and fighters of the armed forces have accomplished.

He commended their role that honorable sons of Sinai play in cooperating with the armed forces and the police in restoring security, stability and development to the beloved Sinai.

He engaged into a dialogue with leaders, officers, non-commissioned officers and soldiers, in which he listened to their opinions and inquiries. 

The dialogue also included a number of discussions about many topics and various fields. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqKLNWjtZOc&feature=youtu.be

In a related context, the Chief of Staff visited the permanent operations center in the insurance sector in North Sinai to monitor the progress of security operations implemented by the forces around the clock to protect the homeland and preserve its territory. 

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He also inspected a number of ambushes and security focal points on the roads and main axes in Sinai to determine the morale condition and combat efficiency of members of the armed forces In the areas of combating terrorist activity.

Who is Egypt's Chief of Staff?

Lieutenant General Mohamed Farid has taken up office as the Egyptian Chief of Staff since October, 2017. 

Farid holds a bachelor of military science from the Military Technical College (1977) and a master’s of military science. He served as chief of staff of the Northern Military Region and then led the Second Field Army.

Farid also served as the commander of the Second Army from July 2010 to July 2012 and later served as secretary general of the Defense Ministry during one of the most crucial periods of the country, the June 30 Revolution.

Furthermore, since June, Farid served as assistant defense minister and secretary of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces.

The incumbent chief of staff of the armed forces played a major role in Egypt’s fight against terrorism in Sinai.

The chief of staff of the armed forces holds the highest military rank and is responsible for all armed forces operations inside and outside the country. He reports to the minister of defense.

The general staff includes the land forces, the air forces and the navy, and is supported by the following commissions: operations, planning, military education, intelligence, security and logistics.

Last April, Egypt's army said that ten soldiers were either killed or wounded in a blast targeting an armored vehicle in the restive northern Sinai.

"The attack left 10 soldiers including an officer either killed or wounded," army spokesman Tamer al-Rifai said.

"An explosive device went off hitting an armored vehicle south the city of Bir al-Abd (in North Sinai)," he added.

The statement said the Egyptian armed forces will continue their operations against terrorist elements in the region

The attack was not immediately claimed by any group. Militants loyal to Daesh are active in the strategic border region.

In retaliation to this attack, Egypt’s police killed 18 “terrorists" in a shootout in North Sinai’s Bir El-Abd city, days after an Islamic State group claimed a terrorist attack in which 10 Egyptian military personnel were “killed or wounded” in the same area.

According to the interior ministry statement, the “terrorists" were killed after raid on a hideout in the southern city of the North Sinai governorate.

"The "terrorist elements" used a house as a staging point from which to launch hostile operations," the statement added.