Sharm el-Sheikh explosions target tourist area
Egypt, Local, 7/23/2005

The Egyptian police said that at least 43 persons were killed and other 100 injured, most of them in critical health condition, in a series of explosions, most expectedly are seven explosions, that targeted several hotels and a shopping center in the tourist Sharm el-Sheikh resort in Sinai, in the early hours of this day.

One police officer in Sharm el-Sheikh said that the series of explosions hit the old shopping market in Sharm el-Sheikh by three or four explosions in the adjoining "Ne'meh Gulf", by targeting Ghazala Gardens Mofinik hotels. One woman witness said that Ghazala Gardens hotel was completely destroyed.

A medical source in Sharm el-Sheikh said that the number of injured persons reached 150, most of them in grave conditions.

The correspondent of al-Jazeera TV in Cairo said that among the killed persons are foreigners and police officers, noting that booby trapped cars were used in these explosions.

Egyptian police sources said that among the victims of the explosions of the Red Sea are British, Dutch, Qataris, Kuwaitis and Egyptians.

People in the area said that though the explosions took place after 1 a.m., very often shopping centers are crowded by tourists at this time because of the high temperatures during day time.

One witness said that the first explosion was heard a little time after 1 a.m. form even one kilometer distance, and the explosion resulted in a fire and a column of smoke was seen over Sharm el-Sheikh.

In "Ne'meh Gulf", there are scores of luxury hotels trodden mostly by sport and diving amateurs from Europe.

The explosions were so strong that the windows of neighboring flats in residential areas were broken. One Egyptian lawyer visiting the Gulf of Ne'meh in a work visit said that one of the explosions resulted in dismantling the door of his office.

Three tourists were killed and others injured in two explosions that took place in the Egyptian capital Cairo in April in Cairo.

In October, 2004, 34 persons were killed in two car and truck explosions in resorts visited by Israeli tourists, most of them in Hilton Taba hotel at the Egyptian- Israeli borders.

Previous Stories:
  Accusations against an Egyptian of links to London bombs are false   (7/20/2005)
  Sinai: two killed, 3 injured in clashes between the police, Bedouins   (6/20/2005)
  Trial of persons accused in Sinai explosions start in July   (6/8/2005)

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