Assault on Japanese woman, an individual act
Egypt, Local, 3/19/2001

Describing the assault on a Japanese at the Pyramids area on Saturday as an individual act, the Ministry of Interior said it was a mere attempt by a thief to attack and rob the woman.

The attack on Yuko Yukishima did not affect tourist activity in the area, Giza Police Chief and First Assistant to the Minister of Interior Ahmad Shafie said at a press conference on Sunday.

The Japanese woman, 37, was stabbed in the back and abdomen and underwent surgery at a Giza hospital. The hospital said her wounds are not serious.

The assailant, Mohamad Mater, 40, was shot in the right thigh by a police officer and has been arrested.

Minister of Interior Habib Al-Adli has decided to offer a cash reward to Police officer Mohamad Ibrahim Hassan Farghali and his force for their firm and swift role in seizing the assailant and his weapon.

"The police officer quickly tackled and overpowered the assailant, who used his toy gun to scare off the police officer, who consequently opened fire at him and wounded him in his right thigh," the Giza Police Chief told the press conference.

"The assailant also had a knife on him, with which he wounded the police officer as he arrested him. The wound was superficial," he added.

"The Japanese woman and the assailant were taken to the Pyramids hospital for treatment," he said.

"The victim is the wife a Briton, David Arwin, who works for Amoco Oil Company in Egypt. They live in the suburb of Maadi," he added.

"On the day of the attack, she took her daughter and accompained her mother and father in law to see the Pyramids," he said.

"As she stood with her daughter and when she tried to stop him, he grabbed her camera and stabbed her with a knife in the abdomen and the back," he added.

"The assailant was shot in his thigh and was wounded in the head and face and he cannot be questioned at the moment after having undergone several surgeries but he will be referred to the prosecution shortly," he said.

"The Pyramids police force immediately cordoned the site of the attack and the whole ancient area," the Giza police chief said.

"All visitors at the site were checked to see whether the assailant had any accomplices," he added.

"The policemen are well trained in dealing with such incidents and have managed to arrest the assailant before he could flee," he said.

"They arrested the assailant without killing him and have not injured any tourist or visitor who happened to be at the site at the time of the attack," he added.

He said that the investigation authorities are reviewing the attacker's movements from Alexandria to Cairo. He is reported to be working at a barber shop in Alexandria.

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