Representatives from 35 nations on Saturday (October 21st) attended a ceremony in Egypt to mark 75 years since the WWII battle of El Alamein that saw the Allies turn the tables in North Africa, Egypt’s Ahram Online reported.
At a ceremony held under tight security, officials paid their respects at a cemetery on the Mediterranean coast that holds the remains of more than 7,000 soldiers from the victorious force.
British ambassador to Egypt John Casson hailed "the sacrifices of those who gave their lives here... and thanksgiving for acknowledgement that, in the end, evil will not prevail".
Casson said the site would be a place to remember the dead from that battle but also "those who are still dying and falling", paying tribute to the Egyptian policemen who lost their lives on Friday in the country's Western Desert.
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said "the memory of the thousands of victims who perished in the battle of El Alamein pushes us to renew our efforts to preserve peace, and to put more effort to establish peace, especially in the Middle East".
The Battle of El Alamein, which began on October 23rd, 1942, pitched the forces of British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery against the Afrika Korps of Germany's Erwin Rommel.
The defeat of the German and Italian troops put an end to the ambitions of Hitler and Mussolini to take over the port of Alexandria on the Mediterranean and the Suez Canal, and was a major turning point in the war.
Al-Alamein is a dear part of Egypt where World War II battles took place. It’s unfortunate that until now, it hasn’t been reconstructed. It’s a large swathe of land that is suitable for development and various projects. However, the landmines that had been planted by the warring parties are still there, endangering the lives of the real owners of land. I hope the world will cooperate with us in removing those landmines so security can prevail in that dear area.
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