Sisi stresses importance of facing all potential hostile threats

President Abdel Fattah El Sisi stressed the necessity of maintaining the highest degree of vigilance and preparedness to face all potential hostile threats and dangers, stressing the need for the constant development of military tactics to counter threats, and to launch proactive strikes to thwart attempts targeting army and police personnel in action to perform their duties.

Speaking to the commanders of field army and military zones via video conference on Sunday, the president said the magnitude of terrorist operations that took place in Sinai showed that planning for these operations was not the work of just two or three years but that the stage was being set for carrying them out in a much longer period stretching over almost 15 years. The plot was targeting all parts of Egypt and its aim was to topple the State, he said.

“There’s a lot of things, we still don’t know”, in spite of all efforts exerted by the Armed Forces and agencies responsible for gathering information, the president said.

Over the past three years, it turned out that the existing terrorist structure is large, Sisi stressed.

During his inauguration of the headquarters of the Eastern Suez Canal counter-terrorism command, Sisi said some persons wondered why he looked angry at the opening of Zohr gas field, explaining that his anger is from all those threatening Egypt and threatening all the development works that are being done by the State to serve Sinai, where there is an all-out war on terrorism.

In other words, Egypt’s war on terrorism runs parallel with state-building and development, the president said.

He made it clear the Egypt will not allow anyone to destabilize it and try to drag it into chaos, ruin and destruction anew.

He pledged to heavily defeat terrorists, adding that those who turned themselves in to authorities will be tried according to the law.

He also expressed his deep appreciation of the police and army commanders and forces, thanking the ministers concerned for catering for the basic needs of residents in Sinai.

“Rest assured that we will not stop until we totally defeat terrorists,” President Sisi said.

He also extolled the key role played by civil society organizations in carrying out projects across the country that are part of the overall plans implemented by the State.

As for naming the economic capital of East Port Said “Salam (Peace)”, Sisi said it is a beautiful name for the economic capital of Sinai.

He concluded by urging all Egyptians and state institutions, businessmen, investors to join hands to shore up development projects in the country. (MENA)