Remains of Egyptian soldier found 41 years after war

 The remains of a young Egyptian soldier, who went missing during the 1973 Arab-Israeli War, were found by workers during the digging of the New Suez Canal Project, media reports said.

Cairo: The remains of a young Egyptian soldier, who went missing during the 1973 Arab-Israeli War, were found by workers during the digging of the New Suez Canal Project, media reports said.

The soldier was identified as Mohamed Atwa after workers found a combat boot, a canteen, a comb and a wallet with his national ID and conscription card near the body, El-Masry el-Youm newspaper reported.

He was from the village of Toukh, Dakahlia governorate.

Egypt regained control over the majority of the Sinai Peninsula from Israel in the 1973 October War.

Atwa was reported missing after the war. But the army issued an official certificate that he was martyred in 1977.

His brother Hassan, 58, told the newspaper that eight Toukh men died in the war, and their bodies were returned and buried in the village, except for Atwa.
Atwa's family received his last letter only a few days before the war started in October 1973, Hassan said.

Atwa's daughter Eman, who was only a year old when her father left for the war, told Youm 7 news website that she wants her father's remains to be buried in his home village.
Atwa, who was a driver in the military transportation department, was around 22 when he was killed, and had been conscripted three years earlier.

The soldier married Eman's mother in December 1970. His wife, who died last year, never remarried.

Zee News App: Read latest news of India and world, bollywood news, business updates, cricket scores, etc. Download the Zee news app now to keep up with daily breaking news and live news event coverage.