- Two Egyptian army officers were killed near the Sudan border.
- The military operation targets illegal gold mining.
- The crackdown is part of an ongoing campaign that started in June.
- The fourth phase of the campaign is set to begin soon.
- A high-ranking border guard officer was among the deceased.
CAIRO: 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 Gharib Abdel-Hafez, the official spokesperson for the Egyptian Armed Forces, announced on Thursday.
According to Colonel Abdel-Hafez, the military campaign to combat unauthorized gold mining began in the Eastern Desert in June.
The first three phases of the operation have concluded, and the fourth phase is scheduled to commence on Saturday. The stated objective, according to the Egyptian Armed Forces, is to enhance state control over Egyptian territory and safeguard national resources.
Colonel Abdel-Hafez did not specify the timing of the officers’ deaths. The Egyptian Armed Forces reported that 151 Egyptians and 540 foreign nationals have been detained since the campaign began.
Artisanal gold mining and border security
Artisanal gold mining has increased in northern Sudan amid disruptions caused by the ongoing civil war, with gold serving as a critical source of revenue, according to the Sudanese Mineral Resources Company. Experts and industry participants have noted that much of this gold is smuggled into Egypt through the porous and contested border area, including the mineral-rich Halayeb and Shalateen regions.
Colonel Abdel-Hafez stated that there is ongoing coordination with Sudan, including recent meetings between Egyptian and Sudanese officials. The Egyptian Armed Forces added that the armed forces of both countries have been exchanging information to secure the Egypt-Sudan border.
