CAIRO, Apr 5 (Aswat Masriya) – Major General Sameh Seif al-Yazal, widely known for his military and security expertise, died at the age of 70 due to a deteriorating health condition, state television reported late Monday.

As the leader of the "Support Egypt" coalition in the Egyptian parliament, al-Yazal was an ardent supporter and defender of Egypt's current political regime particularly as a military figure is in charge.

A graduate from the military faculty in 1956, the major general started off as an officer in the Republican Guard then he became part of the military intelligence, before moving on to the general intelligence unit. He also participated in the October 6 war in 1973.

An expected role

Media outlets had usually labelled him as a security and political expert due to his role as director of the Gomhuria Centre for Political and Security Studies, However, the centre rarely produces research studies in the political or security fields.

Following the ouster of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi in July 2013, al-Yazal was frequently featured in media talk shows to comment on the political and security situation at the time.

He was one of many prominent figures who formed the "June 30 coalition" that supported the decision to militarily remove Mursi from power after mass protests against his rule as he had vehemently opposed the Muslim Brotherhood.

Al-Yazal headed the "For the Love of Egypt" electoral coalition during the parliamentary elections that took place in Egypt in October and November of last year. The coalition reaped all 120 party seats. He also founded the Coalition to Support Egypt that aimed to form a majority in the parliament.

Behind the scenes

Despite his absence from a few parliamentary sessions, al-Yazal maintained his influence over parliamentary affairs as the leader of the majority coalition.

Members of the majority coalition succeeded in passing most of the laws that were issued by executive order over the past two years prior to the election of the parliament.

Al-Yazal strongly advocated the formation of parliamentary coalitions that constitute 25 per cent of seats, even though most parliamentarians supported a lesser ratio (10-15 per cent) citing the need for diversity in the parliament.

The Maspero fiasco

The former military general was not particularly esteemed by Egypt's Coptic community due to his controversial statements regarding the Maspero clashes that took place in October 2011.

On Oct. 9, 2011, clashes erupted between peaceful protesters, mostly Coptic Christians, and the army in the vicinity of the state radio and television building known as Maspero, killing more than 25 protesters and injuring hundreds. The protest was organised as a reaction to the demolition of an old church in Aswan. 

The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) was in power at the time.

In comments to the popular talk show al-Qahira al-Youm, Al-Yazal had accused the protesters of coordinating with a "political movement" and "using weapons", leading to the destruction of army vehicles and shooting at military personnel.

The Coptic community erupted in anger at al-Yazal's comments, which were in stark contradiction with the narrative adopted by the Coptic Orthodox Church as well as the Christians and Muslims who participated in the protests.  

The "largest private army"

Al-Yazal was also the former director of the regional office of the leading global security company G4S, described by security experts as the "largest private army" in the world.

The London-based company is active in more than 110 countries including Egypt, and specialises in the provision of security products, services and solutions, according to the company's website.

Al-Yazal held the position of director in 2001.

The military general whose life constituted of years of serving in key roles in the state, died Monday leaving a history of intricate relationships and mysterious endeavors.