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Egypt reshuffles military

Egypt’s military chief ordered a limited reshuffle in military officers Monday, the state news agency reported, replacing the commander in charge of troops in northern Sinai and parts of the Nile Delta where he has been at the forefront of fight against a spreading insurgency by militants.

The reshuffle by military chief Field Marshal Abdel Fattah el Sissi also included the replacement of the commander of the southern region, which includes several provinces down to the border with Sudan.

Major General Ahmed Wasfi was moved from his post as commander of troops in northern Sinai, two provinces along the Suez Canal and three provinces in the Nile Delta, the state news agency MENA said. The area is known as the 2^nd Field Army.

Wasfi was appointed head of training for the armed forces, MENA said. He was replaced in his post by his chief of staff, Maj. Gen. Mohammed el-Shahat. A replacement for el-Shahat in the chief of staff post was also named.

The reshuffle comes amid expectations that the military chief, el Sissi, is expected to announce his candidacy for president. No date for the vote has been announced yet, but is expected by April. El Sissi is widely expected to win if he runs.

Wasfi was the most prominent figure moved in the reshuffle. Often called the “Lion of Sinai” by his supporters, he has been cited in the media in recent months as a possible candidate to join the higher echelons of the military’s leadership council.

Appointed head of the 2^nd Field Army in the summer of 2012, his forces have been battling militants who found a haven in northern Sinai amid Egypt’s turmoil since 2011. He took the post just before an August 2012 attack in which militants killed 16 soldiers near the border with Gaza and Israel.

The insurgency has escalated since the military’s July 3 ouster of President Mohammed Mursi and subsequent crackdown on his supporters. Militant attacks have spread from Sinai, with dramatic bombings in several Nile Delta cities and Egypt’s capital, Cairo, largely targeting military and police.

Two military officials familiar with the moves said it is part of a regular reshuffle to include introduce new blood in combat zones. The reshuffle detailed by MENA also included replacing the head of officers affairs, who was appointed as an aide to the defense minister. The officials spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss the reshuffle.

Also Monday, prosecutors referred the youngest son of Mursi to trial on charges of drug use and possession, an accusation his family dismissed as an attempt to tarnish their image.