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MapEgyptian Army Spokesperson Ahmed Atman Says Two Officers Killed In Anti-Illegal Gold Mining Campaign
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Two Egyptian army officers killed in crackdown on illegal gold mining near the Sudan border. Campaign began in June; three phases finished, a fourth phase planned.
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Two officers killed
The Egyptian army spokesperson Ahmed Atman announced the death of two officers in the Egyptian army during a military campaign targeting what it described as "unlawful mining operations for gold ore" on the southern border. Ahmed Atman said that "the Chief of Border Guard of the Southern Region and the Chief of Operations of the Battalion were martyred while confronting the illegal gold mining." The Egyptian army said the campaign extended from June 14 last June until October 29, and it described the effort as coordinated with the police against "criminal hotspots" for random mining.
The Egyptian army spokesperson confirmed the seizure of 58 cases of random mining for gold ore, 20 metal detectors, 118 electrical machines, and 86 tons of stones mixed with gold ore, and he said the forces also seized "weapons and ammunition" without specifying their numbers. The Armed Forces spokesperson affirmed that the goal is to "fully assert sovereignty within Egyptian international borders and protect the country’s resources and national wealth."
Phases and detentions
Colonel Gharib Abdel-Hafez, the official spokesperson for the Egyptian Armed Forces, announced that two Egyptian army officers, including a senior border guard officer, were killed during a military operation targeting illegal gold mining along Egypt’s southern border with Sudan. Colonel Abdel-Hafez said the military campaign to combat unauthorized gold mining began in the Eastern Desert in June, and he said the first three phases had concluded while the fourth phase was scheduled to commence on Saturday. The Egyptian Armed Forces reported that 151 Egyptians and 540 foreign nationals have been detained since the campaign began, and the military said it was not immediately clear when the officers’ deaths occurred.
The military spokesperson said authorities had detained 151 Egyptians and 540 foreigners during the campaign, and the spokesperson did not specify the timing of their deaths. The military spokesperson said there was coordination with Sudan, including recent meetings between Egyptian and Sudanese officials, and he said the armed forces of both countries exchanged information on securing the Egypt-Sudan border.
Seizures and stated aims
Colonel Ahmed Etman, the military spokesperson for the Armed Forces, announced the names of the Armed Forces personnel who were martyred during a confrontation with gangs engaged in the illegal mining of gold ore in the Western Desert. Colonel Etman said the exchange of gunfire resulted in the martyrdom of Colonel Ahmed Samir, Chief of Staff of the Southern Zone Border Guards, and Lieutenant Colonel Ahmed Gouda, Chief of Operations for a Border Guard battalion operating within the Southern Military Zone. Colonel Etman announced that, as part of the campaign against illegal gold mining in the desert regions, authorities had seized 34 weapons and 6,307 rounds of ammunition of various calibers.
Colonel Etman emphasized that illegal gold mining severely impacts livestock and agriculture while causing extensive soil and water pollution, and he said the primary objective of the campaign is to unify efforts among relevant ministries and state agencies to eradicate the phenomenon. Colonel Etman issued a stern warning against engaging in these illegal activities, and the Egyptian army said the operation comes within the framework of ongoing efforts to assert national sovereignty, secure the borders, and protect natural resources.