By: Ashraf Sadek CAIRO, March 2, 2018 - Many Egyptian artillery officers and soldiers said on Friday, March 2, 2018, that they were truly proud of the distinguished duty they had undertaken to purge Northern and Central Sinai of terrorist and criminal elements once and for all. They said that the artillery units of the Second and Third Field Armies were in the forefront of the troops that had been fighting terrorists since Operation Sinai 2018 started on February 9. Operation Sinai 2018, which has witnessed ferocious clashes over the past 21 days, aims to eliminate terrorists as well as their hotspots and efforts in Central and Northern Sinai. It is a joint effort of Armed Forces branches and formations in co-operation with police troops. The artillery officers and soldiers, who emphasised that they remained keen on the realisation of a safe and confident life all over Sinai, said that they were extremely careful not to harm civilians or their homes. "We only target terrorists and their positions," Artillery Captain A.A. said, adding that under the strict army rules the homes are considered protected civilian sites 'unless they are used for military purposes'. "I am truly proud of what my soldiers and I are doing because we are working on the realisation of a safe and confident life for all Egyptians," Capt. A.A said. He praised the high morale of his soldiers, whom he said had shown off their high skills and their ability to destroy the terrorists' moving and stationary targets precisely since the beginning of the operations. "The soldiers are standing firm and are capable of carrying out their sacred task of ensuring that each and every citizen in Northern and Central Sinai will enjoy a secure and stable life when the military actions achieve their set objectives," he added in a recent interview. Sergeant M.A, who destroyed many terrorists' targets since February 9, said that he was extremely happy to be one of the fighters in the war against terrorism, which he described as the war of all Egyptians. Conscript soldier H.A said that artillery campaign, which involved missiles fired by his unit, was going according to plan. "The unit members are mounting a sustained campaign to drive the terrorists out of their hidden caves and to bring them to justice," he said. Lieutenant Colonel H.M said that all artillery units were extremely careful not to harm civilians or their homes by any means. "Since the start of Operation Sinai 2018, the artillery units have had limited their strikes against terrorist targets only," Lt. Col. said, adding that many strikes were put off after intelligence reports showed that some civilians happened to be near the areas of operations. The artillery units are targeting the terrorists and their positions that are blocking any advance by infantry troops, he said, adding that Operation Sinai 2018 was both legitimate and just and it was being carried out in accordance with international laws, too.
