CAIRO (Sputnik) — According to the statement of the presidential office, General Mohamed Farid Hegazy will replace General Mahmoud Hegazy as the new armed forces chief of staff, while the latter will be appointed the president’s adviser for strategic planning and crisis management.
The reshuffle came a week after a deadly attack on a police convoy in a western desert area of Giza Province. The media reports suggested that about 60 policemen were killed in a shootout with militants. However, Egypt's Interior Ministry said that a total of 16 people were killed and 13 injured.
Egypt has been fighting terrorism for years. The country's security forces regularly carry out massive anti-terror operations in an attempt to curb the extremist activities in the region. However, police and security forces have also frequently been the target of deadly attacks staged by Islamists across the country.
