Friday, December 27, 2013

Egyptians Unsure About Mansoura Attack Perpetrators

Poll shows Egyptians unsure about Mansoura attack perpetrators

MENA, Thursday 26 Dec 2013

35 percent of Egyptians blame the Muslim Brotherhood, but 46 percent are unsure about who was behind the deadly bomb attack

Almost half of Egyptians are unsure about which groups are behind Tuesday's deadly bomb attack on the Daqahliya security directorate in the city of Mansoura, which killed at least 16 people and injured 135.

According to a poll conducted by private polling organisation Baseera, 46 percent of people are unsure about who is responsible, while 35 percent blame the Muslim Brotherhood.

The Egyptian government accused the Muslim Brotherhood of standing behind the Mansoura attack, as well as other attacks against government buildings and security personnel in recent months, before officially declaring the group a terrorist organisation on Wednesday.

The Brotherhood denied on Tuesday any links with the Mansoura bomb attack or other attacks against the government.

Sinai-based jihadists Ansar Beit Al-Maqadis claimed on Wednesday responsibility for the blast.

According to Baseera, 6 percent of Egyptians believe that Ansar Beit Al-Maqadis is behind the incident, 3 percent believe Hamas is responsible, and 5 percent attribute the attack to other radical Islamist groups.

In Daqahliya governorate, where Mansoura is located, the number of respondents blaming the Brotherhood rises to 42 percent.

The poll was conducted by landline and mobile phones on a nationwide sample of 1,374 people aged over 18.

According to Baseera, 91 percent of respondents had heard about the blast. In Lower Egypt, where Mansoura is located, 93 percent had heard about it, while in Upper Egypt, 88 percent of people were aware it had happened.

Urban-based respondents were more likely to attribute the attack to the Brotherhood than rural respondents, at 39 percent compared with 31 percent.

The explosion – which initial Ministry of Interior findings attribute to a car bomb – is the first terror attack of such magnitude to be carried out in proximity to the capital, with a mere 128 kilometres separating the two cities.

http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/90104.aspx

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