Egyptian authorities have arrested some hundred more people over their suspected roles in the deadly blast that rocked a central Cairo bazaar on April 7. The latest arrests brought the number of detainees held by the state security over the Khan Al-Khalili attack that killed three foreigners and injured 18 bystanders to at least 160 people.State security officials said before that they have uncovered links between the 18-year-old perpetrator of the blast and a group of four people who took part in training and recruiting the culprit and in manufacturing the device. Three of the main four suspects: Akram Fawzi, 35, Reda Ahmed, 19, and Tarek Ali, 34, were arrested last week and now face the charges of plotting terrorist acts, belonging to a terrorist group, and possession of illegal weapons and ammunition. Security sources told Arab News that Fawzi, who allegedly masterminded, financed and provided all the data collected from the Internet about how to prepare explosives from primitive substances available on the market, was involved before in some of the terrorist groups in the 1990s. Fawzi, the group's leader and mentor, had been arrested before for being member of a small terrorist organization that adopted the jihadist ideology were taught to make the explosives out of fireworks for their operations that targeted cinemas, tourist hotspots in Cairo. An official at the Interior Ministry who asked not to be identified said Egyptian police managed to arrest the three men and other suspects in a very short time because Fawzi used to work as informer for police. "For a short time Fawzi was recruited by the police securities to inform them about the terrorist groups and their activities," the official said.
Officials at Al-Jihad group told Arab News that at least 54 members of their organization were arrested with other members of Al-Jamaa Al-Islamiya. "Those members have no relation whatsoever with this unknown group behind Al-Azhar bombing," said the Al-Jihad official. "Some of them like Khaled Mohieddin, Samir Hassan and Ashraf Al-Fishawi just happened to be living in the same neighborhood of the bomber and they were arrested and released almost ten years ago after they were proven to be innocent."
| "Round up the usual suspects!" |