Egypt s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi on Wednesday commanded the Egyptian army and police forces to restore stability and security in the Sinai Peninsula within three months using "utmost force."
The president s orders came as part of his speech on Wednesday at an event marking the celebration of Prophet Muhammad s birth (Moulid El-Nabi), which was also attended by Egypt s Minister of Religious Endowments Mohamed Mokhtar Gomaa and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmed El-Tayyeb.
Addressing the country s newly appointed Army Chief of Staff, Mohamed Farid Hegazi, El-Sisi demanded that the army and the police adhere to this commitment.
“I hold Lieutenant General Hegazy, along with the ministry of interior, responsible for restoring stability and security in Sinai within three months," El-Sisi said, directly addressing the general, who stood at military attention.
El-Sisi noted in his speech that this year s anniversary of the Prophet s birthday, which is normally a joyous occasion, comes following a devastating attack devoid of any human or moral principles.
“What kind of Islam do these terrorists claim to belong to when they kill children and elderly people, depriving them of their right to live?" he said, describing the attack as "cowardly."
“Egypt is facing a war that seeks to destroy the state and prevent its stability, and some forces assist terrorists with arms to undermine its role," the Egyptian president added.
Despite the financial cost of the state s war against terrorism over the past four years, El-Sisi highlighted high economic growth rates and development efforts in all of the country s sectors.
On Sunday Mohamed El-Ashmawy, the executive director of the Long Live Egypt Fund, announced that the North Sinai town of Bir Al-Abd, where the mosque attack took place, would receive a total of EGP 400 million towards local services and development projects.
“I assure you that we are determined to make Bir El-Abd a city referred to as a model of prosperity and development," El-Sisi pledged.
The president s remarks come after Friday s massacre of 305 worshippers at the town s Al-Rawda mosque, making it the deadliest terrorist attack in Egypt s recent history.
Wednesday s orders are the Egyptian president s second public authorization of "utmost force" in counterterrorism operations since the Friday attack.
Hours after the massacre, El-Sisi gave a speech saying that the military and police will avenge the martyrs and respond using utmost force against terrorists to ensure stability and security.
On Friday, President El-Sisi declared three days of national mourning for the victims of the attack.
