Governor reopens fuel stations, lifts travel ban in North Sinai

CAIRO – 16 September 2018: The governor of Northern Sinai re-opened fuel stations and lifted the travel ban to and from Northern Sinai, according to a statement issued Saturday by Deputy Minister of Supply in North Sinai Fathy Rashed.

The decision comes upon governor of North Sinai Abdel Fadel Shousha’s orders, Rashed’s statement reported. The committees from the Ministry of Supply will follow up the stations to prevent any manipulation in fuel prices, Rashed added.

The statement reiterated that the government opened other stations in Bir al-Abed and reopened the Arish-Qantara International road for the first time since the start of the comprehensive security operation Sinai 2018.

In his first interview with an Egyptian or Arab newspaper, Armed Forces spokesperson Tamer Refaie stated that since the launch of Sinai 2018 in February, the Egyptian Armed Forces carried out 11 joint maneuvers, including eight joint exercises with foreign countries (four with France and four with USA, Spain, Britain, Cyprus, and Greece), and three exercises with Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Bahrain.

These trainings aimed at exchanging experience in planning, organizing and implementing military activities, as well as developing the skills of participating elements and their ability to carry out tactical tasks to secure vital places and counter threats.

Since the launch of the operation in February 2018, army forces killed more than 321 terrorists, confiscated more than 1,000 improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and destroyed 548 vehicles, 881 motorcycles, 419 drug plantations, 94.5 tons of narcotics, and more than 11 tunnels along Sinai border, he added.

President Sisi instructed the Armed Forces to speed up the implementation of development projects in Sinai to improve the social conditions of the governorate. The Armed Forces Engineering Authority was assigned to implement 290 projects in Sinai at a cost of LE 175 billion, of which 134 projects have been completed.