Mohammed Abu Zaid

CAIRO: The Egyptian government has evacuated 43 of the country’s citizens from Afghanistan.

A military plane carrying them landed in Cairo late on Monday, according to the official MENA news agency.

The 43 evacuees included members of the Egyptian community residing there, members of the Al-Azhar mission, and officials of the Egyptian Embassy in Kabul.

A local TV station showed footage of the returnees carrying Egyptian flags as they landed in Cairo. They were received by military and health officials.

Egyptian media sources said that President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi directed the operation following the deterioration of the security situation in Afghanistan.

One of the returnees said in a statement: “We cannot describe our joy after our arrival in Egypt, and we thank the state for what it has provided, led by President El-Sisi.”

Sheikh Shawqi Abu Zeid, head of the Al-Azhar mission returning from Afghanistan, praised the role of the General Intelligence Service and its ability to maintain the security of the mission until it was evacuated in a professional manner.