French, Italian foreign ministers mourn Wahat victims

CAIRO – 21 October 2017: The foreign ministers of France and Italy extended their deep condolences and sympathy to Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry over the death of dozens of Egyptian policemen in the Wahat Oasis in the Western Desert of Egypt on Friday.

A Saturday press statement by Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ahmed Abu Zaid affirmed that both France and Italy are standing in solidarity with Egypt against terrorism.

Seventeen Egyptian security personnel were killed and injured Friday during a raid on a militant hideout in Wahat. At least 15 militants were killed during the shootout.
As the raid started, militants were alerted, as they started using heavy fire power, which led to a shootout that lasted for few hours, reaping the lives of 13 police officers, four police conscripts and a sergeant.

Attorney General Nabil Sadek directed an open investigation into the attack on Saturday.

For his part, Shoukry confirmed that such villainous terror operations will not affect the determination of Egypt’s police and army forces to sacrifice all for the eradication of terrorism.