Jihadist group claims Taba attack on Korean pilgrims
Cairo (AsiaNews ) - The jihadist group Ansar al- Beit Maqdess has claimed responsibility for the terrorist attack two days ago in the Sinai against a bus carrying s Koreans pilgrim that left four dead and 14 wounded. The Egyptian Catholic Church has sent a message of condolence for all those killed and expressing closeness to the injured.
In a statement published online,
the group praises "one of the Beit al- Maqdess heroes" who carried
out the attack. The
group, based in the Sinai says it is linked to Al Qaeda and is at the forefront
in major attacks against police and army in recent months, which have multiplied
since the ouster of President Mohamed Morsi and the outlawing of the Muslim
Brotherhood in Egypt.
According
to the group, the February 16 attack marked a new phase in the war against the
new government, targeting "economic interests", tied to tourism.
It is the first time in 10 years
that a group of tourists have been targeted in an attack in Egypt , although
bombings and massacres have occurred under all the presidents and governments.
In
this case, the bus that was hit was carrying a group of 31 Korean Christian pilgrims,
all from Jincheon county, who were on a tour that included Turkey, Egypt and
Israel. The
police established that the terrorist - 21 years of age or more - got on the
bus and detonated an explosive belt that must have weighed about 5-10 kg. Human remains found on the site are being
identified.
The
bus was returning from the monastery of St. Catherine and was about to pass
from Taba to Israel when the attack occurred. The
four dead were the two Korean guides, a pilgrim and the driver an Egyptian Coptic
Christian Orthodox named Sami, whose funeral will be held today.
The
Egyptian Catholic Church has issued a message of condolence for the victims of
the attack. "We
pray for those who died - said Fr . Rafic Greiche , the spokesman - and for the
wounded. But we also want to vigorously condemn this mindless violence".
The
attack took place on the very day that a new case against Mohamed Morsi began,
this time accused of having collaborated in similar attacks with Palestinian
Hamas and Lebanese militants.
The
new round of violence seems to want to threaten to the candidacy for president
of Gen. Abdel
Fattah Al-Sisi who last week was in Moscow, where he obtained the support of
Vladimir Putin. But
it is especially a threat to all foreigners not to support the new Egyptian
government, by undermining one of the richest assets of the national economy; tourism.
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12/02/2016 15:14
