Cairo: Head of the Egyptian parliament’s Defence and National Security Committee Kamal Amer, an ex-army commander, has died due to COVID-19, state media reported. He was 78.
Egyptian President Abdul Fattah Al Sissi mourned Amer and ordered his promotion to the rank of honorary lieutenant General in appreciation of his national role.
“Egypt today lost one of its dearest men my teacher and my commander Maj. Gen. Kamal Amer,” Al Sissi said in a Facebook post. “He was sincere and devoted to this homeland until the last minute in his life.”
Military positions
Al Sissi also conferred the prestigious medal, the Sash of the Nile, on Amer, who had held several military and civil positions. He also ordered a major square in Egypt be named after Amer in a gesture of honour, local media said.