Terrorists arrested, Sinai attack thwarted

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CAIRO, Oct. 30 (UPI) -- Egyptian security officials arrested five armed terrorists who planned to attack tourist sites in the Sinai during the just-ended Eid al-Adha holiday.

Egyptian officials quoted Tuesday by the London newspaper al-Hayat said the five are linked to a terror cell in Nasser city and had planned to attack tourist resorts in Sharm el-Sheik and Dahab in the Sinai.

The five were arrested inside a tent and were armed with explosives, ammunition, grenades, rocket propelled grenades and automatic weapons, the officials said. The officials described the five as "jihadist elements" and said one of the cell members was a former officer in the Egyptian army.

The officials said the five are believed linked to terrorists who perpetrated the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, last month. U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans were killed with rocket-propelled grenades.

They noted more than 100 terrorists have been arrested in the Sinai area since military and security forces boosted their presence in the area. Information gained from interrogations revealed the scope of terrorist activities in the country, the paper said.