Mohamed Ibrahim, the Egyptian Minister of the Interior. Three suspects have been arrested in an alleged plot to attack buildings inside the North African state., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.
Police arrest three Egyptians suspected of planning terrorist attacks
Sayed Gamaleddine, Ahram online, Saturday 11 May 2013
Interior minister announces arrest of three Egyptians – with possible links to Syria-based militants – suspected of planning domestic terrorist attacks, including one on foreign embassy
Egyptian police have arrested three men suspected of planning attacks on targets in Cairo and Alexandria, including a foreign embassy, Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim announced Saturday.
Speaking at a news conference, Ibrahim said the suspects had been in contact with an "Al-Qaeda" figure in western Asia, as well as "elements responsible for receiving terrorist fighters on Turkey's borders" – a reference to militants reportedly overseeing the flow of Islamist fighters into violence-wracked Syria.
Ibrahim, however, went on to deny the existence of "any Al-Qaeda terrorist cells" in Egypt.
According to Ibrahim, police confiscated ten kilograms of ammonium nitrate – used in making homemade explosives –found in the suspects' possession.
The minister added that the three suspects were affiliated with the ultra-conservative Gamaa Jihadiyah group, suspected members of which were arrested last October and charged with establishing a 'terrorist cell' in Cairo's Nasr City district.
State Security prosecutors have accused the three suspects – Mohamed Abdel-Halim, Mohamed Mustafa and Amr Mohamed – of being members of the group, which he described as "banned."
Mamdouh Ismail, a lawyer for the defendants, told Ahram Online that his clients were also suspected of planning to travel to Syria to join Al-Qaeda’s 'Al-Nusra Front.'
Ismail said his clients had denied all charges, describing the case against them as "fabricated."
http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/71202.aspx
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