President Mohamed Morsy said after Friday prayers that he was heading the operations currently taking place in Sinai and following the developments hour by hour.
He added that the operations will continue until the security situation is stable, and called on people to confront anyone who attempts to harm national security.
There must be mutual respect between citizens and the police and armed forces, Morsy said.
“If any of them transgresses, I'll punish him. Justice is my responsibility,” he continued. “We demand security from security men because this is their responsibility.”
Morsy performed Friday prayers in the Hosary Mosque in 6th of October City.
“Security will not be achieved without justice and both of them cannot last long without continuous development and work,” Morsy added, concluding: “Nobody should be oppressed in my state, and the law is above all. There should not be raids, corruption, or assaults on people or facilities, especially water and electricity facilities and places of worship.”
A military source said that the armed forces and the police are currently preparing for a raid on Gabal al-Halal within hours to force out militants entrenched there. The source added that fully purging Sinai of criminal activity would take a long time because criminal networks have been established over the years and created secure bunkers and escape routes through mountainous areas.
The military source praised the support and cooperation of the people and tribes of Sinai in both nomadic and urban areas, saying that the security crackdown is in response to their demands to restore stability in the area.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
