Egyptian authorities are investigating whether 17 suspected al-Qaeda members arrested while illegally entering Libya are connected to last week's coordinated bombings at Sinai tourist resorts that killed 34 people, an Egyptian official said Wednesday. Egypt has asked the Libyan government whether the suspected militants were arrested after the Oct. 7 attacks, the official said on condition of anonymity. Libya's Interior Ministry announced the arrests Sunday, three days after car bombs blew up at the Taba Hilton and two bungalow campgrounds an hour's drive south, killing Egyptians, Israelis, Italians and Russians. The ministry did not elaborate on the arrests or the suspects, except to say they were from the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia.
| That'd be Paks and Uzbeks... |
Also, a fourth separate claim of responsibility for the attacks was posted on the Internet Wednesday by a group identifying itself as "Muhammed's Army — The Military Wing of the Palestinian Resistance." None of the four claims have appeared particularly credible. The latest claim appeared on a Web site known for its Islamic militant content that has been used in the past to post claims of various attacks. "We announce our full responsibility for the heroic operation ... that targeted a hotel in Taba where Israeli Mossad (intelligence agents) and Americans were meeting," said the statement, which contained several simple Arabic grammar mistakes.
| 'Nother words, wannabe jihadis... |
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