Iman Chairman condemns deadly terrorist attacks in the Sinai Peninsular
Martes, 18 Febrero 2014
Four people died in the most recent attack
Sinai attacks: Deadly bombing hits Egypt tour bus
BBC NEWS
A bomb attack on a tourist bus in the Sinai peninsula has killed three South Koreans and an Egyptian, officials say.
Fourteen South Koreans were also hurt in the attack, which came as the bus was preparing to cross into Israel.
A device was detonated either inside or close to the bus, but exact details are not clear. No-one has admitted carrying out the attack.
The Sinai peninsula has become increasingly lawless since President Hosni Mubarak was overthrown in 2011.
'Beyond deplorable'
The bus was reported to be heading into Israel from St Catherine's monastery, a popular tourist destination near Mount Sinai, when it was attacked on Sunday.
South Korea's foreign ministry said on Monday that the bus was carrying 31 tourists, plus three tour guides - two Korean and one Egyptian.
Those who died were the two South Korean tour guides and another South Korean tourist, and the Egyptian driver, Yonhap news agency reported, citing the ministry.
Fourteen other South Koreans were taken to hospital.
The passengers were members of a church group on a 12-day tour of religious sites in Turkey, Egypt and Israel, the South Korean news agency said.
The exact cause of the blast is not clear. One report describes a young man throwing a device into the vehicle, another - citing South Korea's ambassador to Egypt - says the man boarded the bus.
"We strongly condemned the terror attack against the tour bus... It is beyond deplorable," South Korean foreign ministry official Cho Tai-young said in a statement.
South Korea would "actively co-operate" with the Egyptian government to find out who carried out the attack, he said.
Egypt's struggling tourist trade - which is a slim lifeline for the economy - looks set to be another casualty of the bombing, says the BBC's Orla Guerin in Cairo.
Tourism Minister Hisham Zaazou said he was "very disappointed" by the attack and hoped it was an isolated incident that would not be repeated.
A number of militant groups operate in Sinai, and Bedouin tribes live largely outside of the control of Cairo.
Attacks by Islamist militants have intensified since the army overthrew President Mohammed Morsi in July.
Our correspondent says the bombing could signal a shift in strategy by al-Qaeda-inspired militants in Sinai, from attacks on the police and army, to softer targets.
Mr Morsi appeared in court on Sunday to face charges of espionage and conspiring to commit acts of terror.
The Islamist former leader is facing four separate trials, three of which have opened so far.
Egypt taking 'ultimatum against tourists' seriously
BBC NEWS
Egyptian Prime Minister Hazem Beblawi has said Islamist militants in the Sinai peninsula are becoming a threat to foreign tourists, state TV reports.
Officials say they are taking seriously a reported ultimatum by Islamist militant group Ansar Beit al-Maqdis for tourists to leave the country.
The threat was reportedly made on a private Twitter account affiliated with the group, according to Reuters.
The Egyptian government has struggled against rising militancy in the Sinai.
The Twitter message gave all tourists until Thursday to leave Egypt or face attacks.
Ansar Beit al-Maqdis has denied using social media, but Reuters says the account has spoken for the group in the past.
A spokeswoman at the Egyptian embassy in London said that while the government could not be sure of the authenticity of the threat, "extra precautions have been taken in recent days to protect tourists in the resort area of Sharm El Sheikh".
The Islamist group earlier claimed in an official statement that it was responsible for a deadly attack on a tourist bus on Sunday. Three South Koreans and an Egyptian were killed in the attack.
The al-Qaeda-inspired militant organisation, whose name means "Champions of Jerusalem", has increasingly turned its attacks against the Egyptian police and army.
The Sinai peninsula has become increasingly lawless since President Hosni Mubarak was overthrown in 2011.
Militants further stepped up their attacks after President Mohammed Morsi was ousted by the army last year.
Condemning the attack, Chairman of the Iman Foundation, Ribal Al-Assad said:
"I am appalled to hear of this recent attack against tourists in the Sinai peninsular, yet another reckless crime against innocent people by extremists driven by hate.
These Islamists must not be allowed to turn Egypt into a no-go zone, they must not be allowed to smash apart the fragile economy of the country on which so much depends.
The international community must stand alongside the people of Egypt at this time and robustly against those who seek to turn it into a repressive and undemocratic caliphate state.
My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families at this time, as well as the people of Egypt - who deserve nothing less than a bright and prosperous future."
