CAIRO, 9 October 2004 — The fun, peace and quiet of Israeli holidaymakers in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula was shattered Thursday evening when a series of bomb explosions rocked the exclusive five-star Taba Hilton and brought the facade of the hotel tumbling down.
The Taba Hilton, popular with Israeli holidaymakers, was the scene of the worst terrorist attack to hit Egypt since the mass killing in Al-Deir Al-Bahari Temple in Luxor in 1997 in which 58 tourists were either shot dead or hacked to death in a grizzly massacre carried out by militants.
The Israeli government had issued warnings advising Israeli citizens against traveling to Sinai, but few Israelis heeded the warning. Sinai, across the border from Israel is a close and familiar holiday destination. Many Israelis took advantage of the weeklong Jewish holiday of Sukkot and headed for Sinai resorts.
Conflicting theories about what exactly happened are flying about in Taba. And both the Egyptian and Israeli authorities are keeping their lips tightly sealed. However, it is believed that at least two vehicles exploded at the entrance of the Taba Hilton Hotel. It is also believed that a woman bomber blew herself up at the hotel’s swimming pool area.
At least 30 people were killed and more than 200 injured. Many of those injured were rushed to hospitals in Sharm El-Sheikh, Taba hospitals and neighboring Eilat in Israel. At least 19 of the dead were Israelis. Six Egyptians were among the dead, Israel Radio reported, and one Russian was killed. Italian authorities said two Italian sisters were among the missing.
Many bodies are still believed buried in the rubble of the Taba Hilton. About 60 Israeli paramedics are in Taba to treat Israeli victims, and the Egyptian authorities are cooperating with their Israeli counterparts to facilitate the speedy return of Israeli holidaymakers to Israel. The Taba terminal crossing, where Israeli tourists cross the Egyptian-Israeli border into the Israeli port city of Eilat, was the scene of bitter grief, anguish and pain.
Almost at the same time as the Taba attack, a bombing and shooting attack took place in two restaurants frequented by Israeli holidaymakers in Ras Al-Sheitan, or Devil’s Head, near the Sinai resort of Nuweiba, a busy port catering for passengers and cargo from neighboring Saudi Arabia and Jordan across the narrow Gulf of Aqaba. At least two Israelis were killed in Ras Al-Shaitan.
Three groups claimed responsibility for the attacks. The first to claim responsibility was the Brigades of the Martyr Abdullah Azzam, Al-Qaeda in Egypt and the Levant. The group issues statements purportedly from Al-Qaeda on websites. Two other groups — the Tawhid Islamic Brigades and Jamaa Al-Islamiya Al-Alamiya — also claimed responsibility.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit said it was too early to determine who was responsible for the blasts. “It is a terrorist action, but we cannot yet tell who carried it out,” he said, adding that “investigations began immediately after the incident.”
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said he and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak had agreed to “focus efforts and forces to fight terror.” Sharon said in a statement he had spoken to Mubarak to thank him for Egypt’s help in evacuating the dead and wounded.
Several Egyptian ministers rushed to the scene of the attack in Taba including Interior Minister Habib Al-Adly and Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Maghrabi. Al-Adly said the attacks would not alter Egypt’s determination to fight international terrorism.
Al-Maghrabi said security in Sinai resorts would be stepped up. He said while it is still early to ascertain the damage to the Egyptian tourism industry in the aftermath of the attacks, all measures will be taken to secure the safety of holidaymakers in Sinai resorts.
The United States warned its citizens in Egypt to step up security and avoid the eastern coast of the Sinai Peninsula, especially the resort areas of Taba and Nuweiba. A State Department spokeswoman, Susan Pittman, said Washington was unaware of any American casualties in the bombings.
