Attacks of April 24th, 2006 with Dahab

Triple attack in the seaside resort of Dahab , on the Red Sea, in Egypt.

Triple Attentat shook the April 24th 2006 towards 19:15, local time, (17. 15 GMT) the seaside resort of Dahab, located on the Golfe of Aqaba, with the Eastern extremity of the the Sinai on the Red Sea, in Egypt. The explosions took place at a few seconds of interval. According to security sources, the bombs were actuated remotely. The attacks aimed two restaurants, Nelson and Alaeddine, and the Ghazala supermarket. They took place in full period of the Egyptian festivals of springs which attract many tourists, in particular foreign.

Contradictory assessments

The official results remain for the moment the following:

According to the last assessment provided by the Egyptian ministry of the Interior and re-examined with the fall, 18 people were killed and at least 62 wounded. Among the 18 dead ones 12 Egyptians and six foreigners appear (a German , a Lebanon ease, a Russian and a Suisse). The three explosions also made 62 wounded including 42 Egyptians and 20 foreigners (three American, three Danish, three Britanniques, two French, two Italy NS, two German, a South-Korean, a Lebanon board, a Palestinian, a Israélien and a Australia N.

Other information in bulk, sometimes contradictory, was transmitted:

the Egyptian Minister for the Interior Habib el-Adly speaks about 24 dead, including three foreign nationals.
the government spokesman, Magdy Rady, affirms that 18 people were killed including six foreign nationals. He added that these attacks had made 85 wounded, including 10 foreign nationals, advanced figure by a doctor of the hospital of Charm el-Cheikh. On the other hand, he refused assure to the dires police force which affirms that a Russian national and another Suisse were killed.
the Ministry for Foreign Affairs with Berlin announced for its part that young a 10 year old German had perished.
With Paris, the Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy confirmed that two French had been slightly wounded.

Reactions

The judgments of the international community are unanimous:

the Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak affirmed that “the persons in charge of this hideous terrorist act must be pursued and punished in accordance with the law”.
the French president Jacques Chirac expressed with the Egypt its “consternation” and the “solidarity of France” after “these bloody murders”. The Head of the State condemned “these odious terrorist acts” and addressed his condolences to the families of the victims.
the US president George W. Bush condemned “with force” triple attack, speaking about “act of hatred”. “We saw still today that the terrorists want to try to define the world as they want to see it. I can ensure this the enemies: we will continue the offensive”.
Philippe Douste Blazy, French Minister for the Foreign affairs: “I condemn the coward attack who has just been held. I would like, without delaying to transmit my more sincere condolences to the families and to the close relations of the victims and ensuring the Egyptian authorities of my sympathy and my solidarity. In this terrible test, I immediately mobilized the services of our embassy in Cairo like those of this ministry. Agents of the embassy are already on the spot. ”
Jack Straw, British Minister for the Foreign affairs: “I completely condemn these deplorable explosions to Dahab. Once more, the terrorists showed their contempt of the human life. ”
Peter MacKay, Canadian Minister for the Foreign affairs: “The Canada condemns this terrorist act firmly, and about the incidents of this kind worry us highly. Although the circumstances are not yet entirely known, it is obviously about an attack perpetrated against of the innocent civilians. Its authors must be uncovered and translated into justice. ”
Hu Jintao, president of the Popular republic of China: The Chinese government “condemns the attacks and is firmly opposed to any form terrorism”, indicated president Hu in a message sent to its Egyptian counterpart Hosni Mubarak. “China is laid out to strengthen the co-operation with the international community, including Egypt, to continue the fight against terrorism and to safeguard peace and stability in the world. ”
Abdallah II, king of Jordan: The Jordanian sovereign “condemned and denounced this terrorist act firmly releases” and expressed “its support for Egypt in these difficult moments. The hand of terrorism was caught some again with innocent Egyptians”, denounces Abdallah II, underlining in its message the “need for linking the international efforts to face this dangerous plague which has nothing to do with our Arab culture or our Islamic religion”.
Vladimir Poutine, president of Russia: “I firmly condemn this terrorist act which cannot be justified. I express my sincere compassion with the parents and to the close relations of the victims”, wrote the Russian president, expressing “solidarity without fault of Russia towards Egypt in the fight against terrorism”.
Frank-Walter Steinmeier, German Minister for the Foreign affairs: “The horrible images of Dahab fill us all with fear and of great sadness”, the chief of the German diplomacy affirmed. “The attacks of last night show once again in a terrible way that the terrorists do not move back in front of nothing in their blind hatred. ”
Ismaïl Haniyeh, Palestinian Prime Minister and member of the Hamas: “We condemn the odious crime which took place with Dahab in the Sinai and which destabilizes the national security of Egypt. We are at the sides of Egypt and interdependent of the Egyptian people”, he added. Earlier, the spokesperson of the cabinet, Ghazi Hamad, had affirmed that the Prime Minister had discussed in the morning with Egyptian persons in charge to express his “support to them”.
Javier Solana, high representative for the foreign policy of the EU: “I firmly condemn the terrorist attacks which took place with Dahab. ”. Javier Solana testified to her “solidarity with the Egyptian government and the Egyptian people, as with all the European governments whose citizens were killed or wounded. My thoughts go to the families of all the victims of these heinous acts and of foolish violence”, he added.
Tony Blair, British Prime Minister: The world must “be firm, plain and solved” vis-a-vis terrorism, he affirmed. “I think that this message very very extremely of the international community must be sent. We see these types of terrorist organizations try to make run off the line progress towards the democracy, to prevent governments from correctly functioning and to impose itself through terrorism, the massacres and the murder of innocent people”, it continued. “I think that what is most important with regard to the fight against terrorism is to continue, in each part of the world, but particularly to the Middle East, to support those which believe in progress towards the democracy in particular”, he added. Tony Blair also transmitted her “compassion and her condolences to the families of those which were killed and those which were wounded” in these attacks, and “expressed her support and her solidarity with the Egyptian authorities”.

Inquire

The procedure remains a mystery. A person in charge of safety ensured, under cover of anonymity, that at least two Kamikaze S were implied there. The Minister for Information showed himself more careful, affirming that one cannot for the moment affirm or cancel this thesis.

A few hours after triple attack, ten Egyptians were stopped. Some of them carried false paper.

The April 26th at the evening, the Egyptian Minister for the Interior Habib el-Adly, declared that triple attack of Monday to Dahab in the Sinai is related to the attacks having struck other tourist places of the peninsula, in October 2004 with Taba and with Charm el-Cheikh in July 2005. According to information which it communicated the authors are Bedouins of the Sinai. According to him, the double murder of the April 26th, which aimed at the Egyptian police force and the Multinational force of observers (MFO) in the north of the the Sinai, and in which only the kamikazes died, is also the work of the same group.

Testimony

A French victim, young a 16 year old boy specifies certain elements in its testimony:

- There were three wounded French of which a low register (the witness for a wound with cranium, an old man of forty year for a wound with the chest, a woman of an about sixty year for a bored tympanum), which belonged to the same group.

- The assessment cash 18 dead seems to only represent killed on the blow, without counting to the kamikazes and members of the police force/armed Egyptian (secret number held by the Egyptian State). Ten died moreover, at least, would be to count for the casualties died on the way of the place at the Hospital of Dahab, and of the Hospital of Dahab to that of Sharm-El-Sheikh.

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