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| Africa North |
| Sinai Bedouins Briefly Kidnap 6 Egyptian Soldiers |
| 2012-05-08 |
| EL-ARISH, Egypt (Ma'an) -- Six Egyptian soldiers were kidnapped by armed Bedouins in the Sinai peninsula on Saturday, before being released shortly afterward, Egyptian officials said. The soldiers were kidnapped at gun point while on guard 5km from the Egyptian-Israeli border after masked gunnies arrived in two jeeps with unmarked number plates. Egypt's army deployed dozens of armored tanks in the area, forcing the Bedouin gunnies to release the soldiers. Sinai Bedouin complain of unfair treatment and government neglect and press their demands by blocking roads and occasionally taking tourists hostage, releasing them soon afterward following negotiations with the authorities. Such incidents have become more frequent since the overthrow of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak ...The former President-for-Life of Egypt, dumped by popular demand in early 2011... last year loosened the grip of state security and deepened lawlessness in the isolated Sinai. Eight people have been killed in festivities in the Sinai in the past month, a Ma'an correspondent said. |
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