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Al-Qaida group claims it carried out Egypt bus bombing 'Israeli intelligence agents' charged in Egypt
(about 7 hours later)
A militant group based in the Sinai has claimed responsibility for a bomb attack on an Egyptian bus in the desert peninsula that killed three South Korean tourists and an Egyptian driver. Egypt's public prosecutor has charged two men said to be Israeli intelligence agents and two Egyptians with conspiring in Israel's interests, according to a statement from the prosecutor's office.
Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, Arabic for Champions of Jerusalem, said in a statement posted on militant websites late on Monday that one of its "heroes" carried out Sunday's bombing in Taba as part of an "economic war" against army-backed government. "The public prosecutor ordered Ramzy Mohamed, Sahar Ibrahim, Samuel Ben Zeev and David Wisemen – two officers in the Israeli Mossad – to be sent to a Cairo criminal court for spying for the interests of the state of Israel," the statement read.
The two Egyptians are already in jail pending investigation, the statement said. The public prosecutor ordered the arrest of the two Israeli officers. It was not clear from the statement if the Israelis were in Egypt. There was no immediate reaction from Israel.
The Egyptians are accused of providing information about Egypt to the Israeli officers with "the intent of damaging national interests in exchange for money and gifts and sex".
The statement accuses Mohamed of sleeping with women who work in Israeli intelligence. He is also accused of recruiting the accused woman, Ibrahim, to work for Israeli intelligence.
The statement said the two Egyptians had admitted during investigations that they had spied for Israel.
Earlier on Tuesday, a militant group claimed responsibility for a bomb attack on a Egyptian bus that killed three South Korean tourists and an Egyptian driver close to the border crossing into Israel in the volatile Sinai desert.
Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, Arabic for Champions of Jerusalem, said in a statement posted on militant websites late on Monday that one of its "heroes" carried out Sunday's bombing in Taba as part of an "economic war" against the army-backed government.
Egyptian officials have called it a suicide attack, but the Ansar statement did not use any language that would suggest the perpetrator was dead.Egyptian officials have called it a suicide attack, but the Ansar statement did not use any language that would suggest the perpetrator was dead.
The al-Qaida-inspired group has claimed responsibility for previous attacks, but they have previously targeted primarily police and the military. The al-Qaida-inspired group has claimed responsibility for previous attacks, but has previously targeted primarily police and the military.
The authenticity of the statement could not be verified but it was posted on al-Qaida-affiliated websites.The authenticity of the statement could not be verified but it was posted on al-Qaida-affiliated websites.