AL ARISH, Egypt, 3 August 2005 — Egyptian police said yesterday they killed a major suspect involved in both Taba and Sharm El-Sheikh blasts in the mountains of Southern Sinai on Monday.
“With the help of the Bedouins we managed to locate Muhammad Saleh Fulayfel and shot him dead with his wife,” said a security source.
“We are now trying to arrest Youssef Badran, who is also suspected of taking part in Sharm El-Sheikh attacks,” he told Arab News.
Fulayfel was the third main suspect of Taba blast. He was being tried in absentia and was said to be the mastermind of Sharm El-Sheikh attacks.
A statement by the Egyptian Ministry of Interior said Fulayfel was hiding in a quarry in Mount Ataqaa. When the security forces cordoned off the area they were fired upon. The security officers responded to the attack and killed him.
Fulayfel was hunted last month by the state security following a gunbattle in which at least one policeman was killed and three others were injured. Security sources said they are still chasing Youssef who escaped a few hours after the attacks.
