'Egypt is seeking a cell of 7 terrorists in Sinai'

Security sources in Sinai tell Ma'an that terrorists are attempting to attack Israel, may have already entered the Gaza Strip.

By JPOST.COM STAFF, YAAKOV KATZ
Gaza smuggling tunnel 311 (photo credit: Ashley Bates)
Gaza smuggling tunnel 311
(photo credit: Ashley Bates)
Egypt stepped up its efforts to catch a cell of seven terrorists that a source in the Egyptian security services said was trying to enter the Gaza Strip in order to carry out attacks on Israel, Palestinian news agency Ma'an reported Friday evening.
According to the report, the wanted terrorists are affiliated with the 25 members of a terror cell that Egypt arrested on Thursday.
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The Egyptian source raised the possibility that because the terrorists have yet to be located, they may have already entered the Gaza Strip, Ma'an reported.
The seven men sought by Egypt were supposedly in the custody of the country's security services until three months ago when they were released by the Egyptian Interior Ministry. The source said that after their release, they resumed their radical religious activities, set up a new terrorist cell and sought to enter Gaza through smuggling tunnels, according to the report.
On Thursday, a travel warning was issued by the Israeli Prime Minister's office, calling on Israelis in Sinai to leave and return to Israel straight away.
The warning quoted "reliable and current intelligence" about a kidnapping plot and called on "all Israelis in Sinai to leave immediately and return to Israel."
Citing credible intelligence, the Israeli Counter-Terror Bureau (CTB) sharpened its advisory against traveling to the Sinai Peninsula also on Thursday evening.
According to the bureau, Israeli intelligence agencies have received information regarding plans by the Army of Islam – a Palestinian terror group affiliated with al Qaida and based in the Gaza Strip – to kidnap Israelis currently vacationing in the Sinai.