The Commander of the US Central Command, General Michael Korella, visited the Rafah border crossing in North Sinai during his visit to Egypt, where he discussed preparations for military maneuvers on the border between Egypt and Gaza.

According to a statement issued by "Centcom", "General Korella visited Egypt and met with the Chief of Staff of the Egyptian Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Osama Askar, in Cairo, and the Commander of the Second Field Army, Major General Muhammad Rabie, at the Rafah border crossing in North Sinai. The trip focused on common security concerns, including border security, enhanced joint training, including the upcoming Bright Star exercise, and opportunities to enhance the long-term military partnership between the United States and Egypt.

The statement continued, "General Korella expressed his gratitude to Lieutenant General Osama Askar for Egypt's continued leadership role in regional security issues and its role during the recent evacuations of non-combatants from Sudan."

The statement pointed out that "the meeting dealt with the final preparations for the Bright Star maneuvers that will be held next month and will be the largest of its kind in years, and the two leaders focused in particular on live fire and planning for the conduct of the maneuvers, which will involve more than 7,000 military personnel from 33 countries."

“The evolution of the maneuvers is key to improving interoperability between the Central Command forces, the Egyptian Armed Forces and all other participating regional forces,” Gen. Kurella said. “The Egyptian command has a critical role for security in the region.”

The statement continued: "The leaders discussed the ongoing efforts to improve security on the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, with special attention given to the Rafah border crossing."

Source: National Iraqi News Agency