CAIRO: Egypt has appointed Major General Khaled Megawer to serve as the head of the country’s military intelligence service, replacing Mohamed al-Shahat, two security sources told Reuters on Sunday.

Egypt’s military and intelligence services play a leading role in top level decision making, taking a more public role since current president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi led the 2013 military overthrow of Egypt’s first freely-elected president, Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood.

The sources did not give a reason for al-Shahat’s dismissal, but Sisi has replaced several high-ranking security officials in the military, interior ministry and the general intelligence service over the last couple of years.

Megawer previously served as deputy head of the military intelligence body, Commander of the Second Field Army and Defence Attaché at the Egyptian embassy in Washington.

Security forces kill 14 in Sinai

Egyptian security forces have killed 14 militants in an exchange of fire in the country’s turbulent northern Sinai region, the interior ministry said on Sunday.

The militants were under surveillance ahead of security forces raiding their hideout in the town of El-Arish, the ministry said in a statement. The militants were suspected of planning attacks on “important and vital facilities”, armed forces and police personnel, the interior ministry said.

Published in Dawn, December 24th, 2018