Cairo: Egyptian President Abdul Fattha Al Sissi Tuesday led a military funeral for the state minister of state for military production Mohammed Al Assar who died the day before, state media reported.
The funeral took place in the courtyard of a Cairo suburban mosque named after the Field Marshal Hussain Tantawi, an ex-defence chief.
Al Assar passed away late Monday aged 74 after an illustrious military career. He was a prominent member of the military council that ruled Egypt after a popular uprising forced longtime president Hosni Mubarak to step down.
Al Assar had been a state minister of military production since 2015. Local media Tuesday gave prominent coverage of his death due to an unspecified illness and highlighted his military career that included fighting in Egypt's 1973 war against Israel.
Late last month, Al Sissi promoted Al Assar to the rank of lieutenant general and ordered a major road in Cairo named after him in a gesture of honour.
Al Sissi mourned Al Assar's passing, calling him a "military icon".
"He was one of the most dedicated men who fought challenges for our great nation," a presidential statement quoted Al Sissi as saying.
