Egyptian Police Kill 2 Suspected in Slayings of 18 Greeks
In an hours-long gun battle amid sugar-cane fields, Egyptian police Tuesday killed two men they suspected of participating in the massacre of 18 Greek tourists near the Great Pyramids.
Four policemen died and 14 others were wounded in clashes with the militants Tuesday.
It was Egypt’s bloodiest day since assailants opened fire on the tourists outside the Europa Hotel in Cairo last Thursday.
Gamaa al Islamiya, or the Islamic Group, claimed responsibility for last week’s attack, saying it meant to kill Israeli tourists to avenge the Israeli bombing of Lebanon. The Islamic Group is the largest militant organization in Egypt.
Since the attack, the government has sent thousands of police into fields and towns in southern Egypt to search for the assailants. Police have arrested hundreds of suspects.
Militants opened fire Tuesday as security forces closed in on their hide-outs near the town of Malawi, about 50 miles north of Assiut, police said. The shooting erupted before noon and lasted several hours.
Two gunmen were killed, and the Interior Ministry said both were believed “to have participated in the recent attack on the tourists.”
Among the four policemen killed was the head of police forces in the south, the ministry said.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
