Egypt announces the killing of one of the participants in Taba attacks

The Egyptian ministry of the interior stressed the killing of one of the wanted who took part in the blowing up of tourism sites in Sinai Peninsula four months ago, in a clash between the security forces and wanted men in Sinai desert on Tuesday.

Mohammed Abd Al Rahman Badawi, one of those involved in Taba incident was killed in a shootout with the policemen during a combing operation in Wadi Al Moelah, 25 km, South of Sinai.

A statement by the ministry said that the security forces clashed with a group of Bedouins believed to have participated in October 7th explosions in Raas Sader area in Sinai, and this resulted in the killing Badawi and injuring one police man, noting that the security forces are chasing other suspects who had escaped.

Earlier news reports said that five persons including three police men were killed in the clashes with the suspected in the explosions which resulted in killing 34 persons, most of them are Israelis.

Worthy mentioning that the Egyptian authorities held the responsibility of the attacks which covered blowing up a Hilton hotel to a group of Sinai Bedouins led by one Palestinian living in Areesh. The security forces announced detention of five persons of the group which carried out the attacks while other two remained on the run. Two men that took part in the explosions were killed.

On Friday, the security forces clashes in al-Areesh with 500 demonstrators protested against the state's detention of suspected persons of the explosions since 3 months. Three men of religion clashed with ten demonstrators.

Non-governmental organizations complained against the measure that the Egyptian security forces detained 3,000 persons in November 2004 in the context of investigating the case and reported they were tortured.