Mursi orders military operation to free hostages
Published yesterday (updated) 18/05/2013 21:14
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=596809

El-ARISH, Egypt (Ma'an) -- Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi on Saturday gave
orders to the ministry of defense to begin military operations in Sinai to
free seven kidnapped Egyptian servicemen, security sources said.

Senior military officials told Ma'an that security and police officials in
Sinai held emergency meetings on Saturday to execute the president's orders
and will deploy in areas around Rafah and Sheikh Zuweid.

Military operations will begin once intelligence services have verified the
identity of the suspects, and their exact locations.

Egyptian intelligence officers believe the kidnapped officers are held in
different locations and intelligence services told Ma'an that some locations
have already been identified.

Earlier, Egypt's defense minister said he would send a large combat force to
Sinai within 48 hours after unsuccessful efforts to negotiate the release of
seven kidnapped Egyptian servicemen.

Local Bedouin leaders had been called in to mediate after gunmen ambushed
two minibuses in Sinai's Wadi al-Akhdar early Thursday and kidnapped seven
members of Egyptian security forces.

The captors are demanding the release of all suspects arrested on suspicion
of attacks in Sinai, including an August attack on the el-Arish police
station that killed 16 Egyptian officers.

Islamist militants have exploited the lawlessness and upheaval in the Sinai
peninsula to establish a launchpad for increasingly brazen attacks on
security forces, a key gas export pipeline and on neighboring Israel.