STORM2K

Police: Casualties in blasts at Egyptian resort town of Dahab

By News Agencies

A witness said he heard three explosions and saw smoke in the tourist bazaar area of the Egyptian Sinai resort town of Dahab on Monday, part of a five-day spring holiday in Egypt.

Egyptian police have said there were casualties in the blasts.

Police officials said more than 20 ambulances and police cars were rushing to the el-Masbat section of the city.

The explosions were heard about 7:15 p.m. local time (1715
GMT), the witness said.

Dahab is located on on the Gulf of Aqaba on the eastern side of the Sinai Peninsula.

"There is smoke coming from the area and there are people running everywhere," said the witness, who did not want to be named.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/708860.html

That is sad, I hope not many were hurt.

they're saying at least 100 dead and wounded.

Egyptian doctor: Dahab blast kills 17, wounds more than 150 at just one hotel

Many casualties in Egyptian resort blasts

By Jack Khoury, Haaretz Correspondent, and Haaretz Service

Three explosions rocked the Sinai resort city of Dahab on Monday night leaving at least 100 dead and wounded, according to the doctor who runs Egypt's rescue squad in the peninsula.

Al-Jazeera reported at least 12 people were killed.

Dr. Said Essa, head of the region's rescue forces, said he was headed to the scene of the blasts, one of which hit the el-Mashrabiyah Hotel.

One blast hit a hotel, a second a restaurant and the third explosion rocked the resort town's market area.

There were no immediate reports of any Israelis casualties. There are not large numbers of Israelis tourists in Sinai at this time of year.

An Egyptian Interior Ministry official confirmed there had been explosions but said he had no further information. "There were explosions but the picture is still not clear," he said.

Police officials said more than 20 ambulances and police cars were rushing to the el-Masbat section of Dahab's old city. Smoke was rising from the area.

The explosions were heard about 7:15 p.m. local time (1715
GMT), the witness said.

This is high tourist season - part of a five-day Egyptian holiday - and hotels all along the Egyptian coasts could be expected to be at near capacity.

"There is smoke coming from the area and there are people running everywhere," said the witness, who did not want to be named.

Body parts and debris were seen in the streets after an explosion in a tourist restaurant, other residents said. One visitor said cars and buses leaving the resort were being stopped by police.

"There were body parts and debris in the street ... There are ambulances and cars taking people to hospital," said another resident who also did not want to be named.

Dahab is located on on the Gulf of Aqaba on the eastern side of the Sinai Peninsula. Monday is part of a five-day spring holiday in Egypt.

There have been a string of attacks in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula over the past 18 months, including deadly Al-Qaida-style bombings in the Egyptian resorts of Taba and
Ras Shitan in October 2004 and in Sharm el-Sheik in July.

Groups claiming links to Al-Qaida took responsibility for those attacks, and Egyptian authorities say new Islamic militant groups have arisen in the peninsula - but they are still trying to determine if they have any real connection to al-Qaida or other international terrorists.

Security reinforcements are being called to Israel-Egypt border following the Dahab attack .

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/708860.html

What a shame...

I visited the Sinai area of Egypt for a month in the summer of 2004...right before all of these terrorist attacks started happening. It was really a great place, the people were friendly, its sad that they are having to deal with this terrorism now.