Egypt reveals arrest of 19 Arabs linked to al-Qaida
Country's interior minister says suspects were using Egypt as transit point to travel to Iraq and join other terror groups.
By ASSOCIATED PRESSCAIRO — Egypt's interior minister on Tuesday said 19 Arabs suspected of links to al-Qaida were arrested last month in Egypt en route to Iraq.Habib el-Adly said the militants, who are from Tunisia and Libya, were using Egypt as a transit point trying to make their way to Iraq to join al-Qaida groups there.RELATED:Cairo says Gaza terror group behind Coptic church attack Saudi Arabia’s war against al-Qaida Adly said weapons, ammunition and documents related to al-Qaida were confiscated with the suspects.El-Adly stressed that those arrested have no connection to the New Year's Day suicide bombing of a Christian Coptic church in the port city of Alexandria that killed 21 people. Egypt has blamed that attack on the Palestinian Army of Islam, another al-Qaida inspired group.The minister's remarks were published in Egypt's leading Al-Ahram daily.