Quoted by the official Middle East News Agency (MENA), the Naval Chief said the Marine Forces are securing Egypt's territorial waters in the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, all national ports and the Suez canal, round the clock.
The Egyptian Navy is also securing vital installations located at the coast or in the sea, namely oil and gas rigs, fields as well as coastal towns.
“The Suez canal is a red line,” he said, explicitly warning that any act of sabotage intended to disrupt navigation through the key canal will prompt the Egyptian Navy to react and deter the saboteurs.
The Egyptian Naval Forces play a role in securing military units, installations and the internal front vis- à-vis hostile acts, in addition to maintaining safety of the citizens and the roads, said Vice Admiral Al-Gendy.
The Egyptian Navy is well equipped and capable of dealing with any major development, he said further, indicating at the dramatic events in Yemen that have fuelled speculations that the unrest there may eventually threaten regular navigation through Bab El-Mandeb Strait -- a strategic passageway that is quite vital for Egypt and its interests.
Source: MENA: Arab News
Photo: Chief of Naval Forces for the Egyptian Navy Vice Admiral Osama El-Gendy (Right) during his visit to FREMM in Bretagne (France) on 07 April 2014. (Credit: Marine Nationale)
