The Egyptian Presidency mourned the death of former Defence Minister Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawy, who passed away Tuesday morning at the age of 85. "Egypt lost Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawy, the former general commander of the Armed Forces and minister of defence and military production, who was one of its most loyal sons and a military symbol who had served his country for more than 50 years," read a presidential statement. "Tantawy was one of the heroes of the glorious October War, who contributed to the making of the greatest heroics ... and a statesman who ran the country in a most difficult time, confronting with wisdom the dangers that surrounded Egypt," the statement added. President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, on behalf of the Egyptian people and government, condoles with the family of late field marshal Tantawy, the statement said.