Cairo - Akram Ali
Seized Libyan missiles smuggled into Egypt
Egyptian security experts warned of the deterioration of Egypt’s safety on Monday.
An attempt to smuggle Libyan missiles into Egypt was recently thwarted
, prompting security expert Abdul Hamid Refaat to request an increase in safety measures.
In a statement made to Arabstoday, he said: “The smuggling of weapons will definitely lead to serious consequences.”
He added that an investigation will be launched to discover who was transporting the weapons and how they intended to use them.
Egyptian military expert, Mohammed Qadri Said asserted that the situation in Sinai is deteriorating due to increased smuggling activity set off after the 2011 revolution. He said to Arabstoday that the shared border with Libya needs to be secured and is more important that securing Sinai itself. He added that the militarisation of jihadist groups has become a big threat the Egyptian security.
The interim Libyan Prime Minister, Ali Zeidan announced on Saturday that national security officials had confiscated missiles being smuggled into Egypt from Libya.
He explained in a press conference ithat the weapons included 10 Milan missiles, around 50 Grad rockets and thermal missiles. They were apprehended at the border of Al Jaghbub region. He said: "The group responsible for the operation has been detained and is awaiting trial.”
Zeidan added that the security of the shared Libya-Egypt border is of national importance. He announced a civilian advisory team from the European Union will arrive in Libya soon to provide technical advice on how to protect the border.