Egyptian army says Sinai hostages freed

22/05/2013| IslamWeb

Six Egyptian policemen and a border guard abducted on the Sinai peninsula last week have been released, the Egyptian army has said in a statement.

 “The seven kidnapped soldiers are now on their way to Cairo after they were released thanks to the work of military intelligence, and in cooperation with the noble tribal leaders of Sinai," said army spokesman Colonel Ahmed Ali in a statement posted online on Wednesday.

A report on state television said the hostages were released in the middle of the desert by their captors.

The army had deployed hundreds of soldiers to Sinai, along with dozens of armored vehicles and helicopters, in the wake of the kidnapping.

The kidnappers were armed with anti-aircraft missiles and heavy machineguns, interior minister Mohamed Ibrahim said on Tuesday, adding that there were no negotiations with the kidnappers, who were demanding the release of jailed Bedouin militants.

 

PHOTO CAPTION

A helicopter flies overhead as soldiers in military vehicles proceed towards al-Jura district in El-Arish city from Sheikh Zuwaid, around 350 km (217 miles) northeast of Cairo May 21, 2013.

Aljazeera