Second group claims attacks
2005-07-25 14:08
Dubai - A second unknown group calling itself Mujahedeen Egypt has claimed the deadly triple bombings in Sharm al-Sheikh and given the names of five "martyrs" who allegedly died in carrying out the attacks.
Following the attacks on Saturday, a group calling itself the al-Qaeda organisation in the Levant and Egypt claimed in an Internet statement the bombings that killed at least 88 people.
The Mujahedeen Egypt statement posted on an Islamic website and dated July 23, the day of the attacks, mentioned seven bombings. Initial police reports also mentioned seven blasts.
"Digging their own graves"
"Your brothers in the Mujahedeen Egypt carried out the blessed earthquake in Sharm al-Sheikh," the group said in a statement which was on usual sites used by Islamist militant groups to make announcements.
"Do not believe what is being said about the claim made by al-Qaeda, may God protect it," it said.
The group said the five "martyrs" carried out seven bombings against hotels and tourist buses used by "Zionists".
"As long as the Zionists do not get out of the land of the Muslims, they will be digging their own graves with their own hands," it said.
The statement identified them as Faisal Khalil, Hassan Abi Rawa, Mohamad Abdel Majid, Nader Mohamad Abdel Ghani and Mohamad Hammoudi al-Masri, said to be the son of the general commander of Mujahedeen Egypt.
It did not give the nationalities of the five attackers.
Police hunting for six suspects
"The explosions started at 01:15 with a booby-trapped car that targeted the Ghazala Gardens in Naama Bay which is a resort crowded with Jews, and the hotel was totally destroyed," it said.
"The second (explosion) targeted the old commercial centre area with a second booby-trapped car.
"After 15 minutes, five explosions occurred, three of them with booby-trapped cars and two of them with explosive charges that targeted Jewish hotels and tourism buses."
Egyptian police said authorities were hunting for six Pakistani nationals suspected of involvement in the attacks, the worst against tourists in Egypt.