JUST IN: Egypt’s former president Mubarak dies at 91 protracted illness

Hosni Mubarak, former Egypt’s president who ruled for almost 30 years before stepping down following a popular revolution in 2011 has died. He was aged 91.

According to the State television, he was reported, Tuesday, he died weeks after undergoing surgery.

Mubarak served as Egypt’s fourth president starting in 1981 until his ouster in what became known as the Arab Spring revolution.

Mubarak survived multiple assassination attempt because of his hardline stance against the militants group.

Recall that the islamic militants had murdered over 60 foreigners in Egypt’s, which Mubarak government responded by crushing the militants.

He was jailed for years after the uprising, but was freed in 2017 after being acquitted of most charges. The Arab Spring protests convulsed autocratic regimes across the Middle East.

Mubarak was born in a rural village in the Nile Delta in 1928. He left behind a complicated legacy as his rule was partly characterised by corruption, police brutality, political repression, and entrenched economic problems.

He joined the Egyptian air force in 1949, graduating as a pilot the following year. He rose through the ranks to become the commander-in-chief of the Egyptian air force in 1972.

Mubarak became a national hero the following year with reports that the Egyptian air force dealt a substantial blow to Israeli forces in Sinai during the Yom Kippur War.

His harsh stance on security enabled him to maintain the peace treaty with Israel.

Under his rule, Egypt remained a key United States ally in the region – receiving $1.3bn a year in US military aid by 2011.

Mubarak is survived by his wife, Suzanne, and his sons, Gamal and Alaa.

CNN/Aljazeera/NewsTrack