The Egyptian army has begun the first phase of construction for a residential village in Sinai, as it pushes ahead with development projects in parallel with counterterrorism efforts, Ahram Online reported Thursday (November 8th).
El-Gawfa village will comprise a total of 100 units, with the first phase of construction focused on 30 Bedouin homes that will be fitted with home appliances and provided with furniture, the military said in a statement.
The project is part of the army's efforts "to move forward in the field of development in the Sinai peninsula in tandem with combating terrorism”, the statement said.
Egypt's military has been battling the "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) on the peninsula as part of Operation Sinai 2018.
The housing project is being carried out in co-operation with North Sinai municipal authorities and a number of civil society groups, and will serve marginalised communities in the region, the statement said.
The second phase of the project is slated to include 70 housing units.
