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| Africa North |
| Al-Qaida suspected of plotting attack on Israel-Egypt gas lines |
| 2009-07-08 |
| [Haaretz Defense] Members of an international Al-Qaida cell based in the northern Sinai Penninsula are suspected of planning to attack the gas lines running between Israel and Egypt, the Egyptian daily al-Masry al-Youm reported Sunday. The cell was also planning to strike Israeli ships passing through the Suez Canal, according to the report. The militants under investigation were allegedly behind a February bomb attack at Cairo's famous Khan el-Khalili market that killed one French tourist and wounded 20 other people. According to the report, an investigation into the 10 suspected cell members uncovered an arms cache in the northern Sinai town of Abu Fakim that included anti-tank rockets, car bombs, explosive devices and explosive belts. Two Palestinians, five Egyptians, a Belgian, a Briton and a French citizen were among the suspected cell members being investigated, according to the al-Masry al-Youm report. The investigation reportedly found that the three European cell members initially entered the Gaza Strip through underground tunnels near Rafah, where they underwent training and received funds to carry out terrorist attacks. The cell members later moved back to Egypt through the tunnels, where they carried out the Cairo attack and planned to carry out further attacks against Israeli targets, the report said. Khaled Mohammed Ahmed, the commander of al-Qaida offshoot the Global Islamic Front, is in charge of the cell, the report said. He has lived in the Gaza Strip since fleeing from Egypt three years ago. |
| Posted by:Fred |