M A I N   N E W S

Egypt hunts for 9 Pakistanis

Sharm el-Sheikh (Egypt), July 25
The Egyptian police hunting for bombers in the Sinai peninsula on Monday distributed photographs of some 50 foreigners, including Pakistanis, who may be connected with attacks that killed at least 64 persons.

Two days after Egypt’s worst attack since 1981, officials are investigating the possibility foreigners could be behind the three blasts which ripped through hotels and shopping areas at the popular Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

Some of the 50 people were “known international terrorists” not known to have visited Sharm el-Sheikh, a security source told Reuters. It was not clear if the Pakistanis in the photos had been staying in the town, the source said.

But Arab satellite channels said Egyptian police were searching for up to nine Pakistanis for questioning. They said the Pakistanis had been staying in hotels in Sharm el-Sheikh but had disappeared after the bombings early on Saturday morning, leaving their passports at the reception.

Al Jazeera television aired a copy of what it said was an Egyptian Interior Ministry list of suspects, highlighting the grainy pictures of two men named Muhammad Akhtar, 30, and Tasadduq Husayn, 18. It said they were Pakistanis. Al Jazeera said the suspects might have entered the country using forged Jordanian passports.

Al Arabiya television said the police were looking for six Pakistanis, adding that police had distributed their pictures throughout Sharm el-Sheikh.

A Pakistani Embassy official in Cairo told Reuters his country was urgently requesting information from the Egyptian authorities.

Islamic militants have launched attacks against tourist targets in Egypt but the involvement of Pakistanis, if confirmed, is unprecedented. — Reuters