CAIRO: Egyptian authorities have arrested a first suspect in connection with the kidnapping of seven security men two weeks ago by militants in Sinai, security sources said yesterday.
The desert along Egypt’s border with Israel has slipped into anarchy since President Hosni Mubarak was toppled in a popular uprising in 2011 and the state has struggled to restore order there since.
The militants, who demanded the release of jailed activists, let the men go on May 22 after mediation by Bedouin tribal leaders.
Prior to their release, Egypt stepped up the security presence in North Sinai, setting up new roadblocks and reinforcing existing ones with the aim of choking off supplies and reinforcements for the kidnappers.
Waleed Saleh El-Nekhlawy, 23, was being held in police custody being investigated for his suspected role in the kidnapping and uploading a video of the men while they were in captivity, one source said.
The kidnappers have been identified by the government as members of Tawhid wal Jihad, who have been blamed for bomb attacks on Sinai tourist resorts from 2004 to 2006.
Suspect in kidnap of seven Egyptian guards arrested
