Sisi meets high security officials to follow up security efforts

CAIRO – 28 October 2017: President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi held a meeting on Saturday with high security officials to follow up the security efforts to track down terrorists.

The meeting included Defense Minister Gen. Sedki Sobhy, Interior Minister Magdy Abdel Ghaffar, Director of the Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate Major General Khaled Fawzy, and Secretary-General of the Defense Ministry Muhammad Farid Hegazy, said presidency spokesman Alaa Youssef.

During the meeting, Sisi discussed the results of the recent clashes between security forces and terrorists on Friday, October 20, which led to the killing of a number of terrorists.

Sisi discussed the measures to be taken to secure Egypt’s land and maritime borders, as well as retaining full control over crossing points, addressing the relevant authorities’ high level of preparation to confront terrorism and challenges facing the region, added Youssef.

Security forces killed 13 high-risk militants in clashes that took place along Wadi Gadid-Wahat Road on Friday, the Ministry of Interior announced in a statement.

Based on security information acquired over the past few days, security forces raided some spots in the Western Desert to pursue militants following clashes between militants and security forces in the Wahat area in Giza, which resulted in 17 officers and 15 militants being killed a week ago, the statement added.

As per information from the state security services, a group of militants were hiding in an abandoned house at the 47-kilometer mark along Asyut-Kharga Road, the statement continued.

A shootout between security forces and militants occurred when the forces besieged this point, resulting in the killing of 13 militants, some of them in military uniform, according to the statement.