/ 7 September 2006

Egypt arrests more than 90 on suspected Islamist links

Security forces have arrested more than 90 Egyptians in the north of the country suspected of links to radical Islamist groups, a lawyer representing them said on Thursday.

A group of 70 people was arrested in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, while another group was detained in the Nile Delta town of Damanhour, the lawyer, Mamdouh Ismail, told Agence France-Presse.

“They were arrested because they consulted Islamist websites linked to militant groups,” said Ismail, denying they had any such connections with radical groups.

Ismail, who has in the past defended suspected Islamic extremists, said he had been informed that the latest group was being questioned by state security services.

The interior ministry refused to comment.

The Sinai Peninsula of eastern Sudan has been targeted in a series of bomb attacks in the past two years. The blasts killed more than 120 people in Dahab in May, Sharm el-Sheikh in July last year, and Taba in October 2004.

These attacks were blamed on an Islamist group, al-Tawhid Wal Jihad.

At the beginning of September, a security source said police were hunting five “terrorists” probably related to the al-Qaeda network who had infiltrated the Sinai. — AFP