A number of important figures have offered their condolences to the death of the great writer, Gamal al-Ghitani, Al-Bawaba News reported Sunday. The armed forces, officers and soldiers mourned his death and said in a statement, "We mourn the pioneer of the Arabic novel, a guard of the national culture, a warrior in the literature of war field, a reporter and a soldier on the front line fighting with his pen, and combatant of the first military correspondents ... a country's man who has won the honor of crossing a military correspondent with the armed forces in the battle of dignity and honor .." The Egyptian Writers Union, headed by poet Dr. Alaa Abdul-Hadi, the Board of directors and members of the general assembly, also mourned al-Ghitani's death with great sadness and sorrow as he was a member of the Union and one of the writer Naguib Mahfouz's students, who passed away Sunday morning. Cairo government, "Al Muhafizin" Party, Novelist Mustafa Bayoumi, actor Khaled al-Sawi along with others mourned al-Ghitani's death with warm words and sad hearts.