The Armed Forces occupy only 25 feddans out of 139 on Qursaya Island, and its ownership is registered with the government, Military Spokesman Ahmed Mohamed said in a presser on the Island's status, Qursaya is a disputed island in Giza.

"When the Armed Forces entered the Island in 2007 it was void of any topsoil, like it has always been since 1956, it was not owned or in hold by anyone," Mohamed explained.

The ruling of the Administrative Court in 2010 organized the possession of lands on the Island; it has nothing to do with the dispute between residents and army.

Mohamed pointed out that it was the Armed Forces lands that were encroached on by the Island inhabitants not the other way around.

"They refused to engage in dialogue to resolve the dispute," Mohamed said referring to the residents, "they have even attacked Armed Forces personnel injuring four Egyptian soldiers."

Twenty of the arrested persons in the case did not live on the Island and have confessed to receiving funds from enticers.

Mohamed urged anyone with an ownership contract to present it to the Armed Forces.