Guerrillas Egypt

The execution of a Muslim militant who plotted to kill Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and the murder of a militant's father in southern Egypt brought to a bloody end another year in which the government tried in vain to crush the armed fundamentalist movement. Hamada Mohammed Lotfi was hanged in a Cairo prison Saturday for planting explosives at a military air base near the Libyan border in hopes of assassinating Mubarak.

Egypt's largest Muslim militant group claimed responsibility Saturday for the attack that killed 18 Greek tourists near the Pyramids of Giza but said it had been meant for Israeli tourists to avenge Israel's bombing in southern Lebanon. Gamaa al Islamiya, or the Islamic Group, also warned that "Jewish interests" in Egypt would be hit until Israel halts its assault in Lebanon. It pledged more attacks "in coming days" and repeated earlier warnings for tourists not to come to Egypt.

Suspected Muslim militants shot dead four policemen in southern Egypt on Sunday, bringing December's police death toll to 18--the highest since militants began fighting to overthrow the state in 1992. Gunmen ambushed and killed the policemen as they were on their way to work in El Qusiya, a militant stronghold 186 miles south of Cairo, security sources said. A civilian also died in the shooting.

Police shot to death two leaders of the military wing of the Gamaa al Islamiya (Islamic Group) in southern Egypt, security sources said. They said that a police patrol saw the men going into a house Tuesday afternoon in the village of Zouk el Gharbiya, 250 miles south of Cairo, and shooting started when police tried to arrest them. The two were identified as Mahmoud Abdallah and Ali Sutouhi.

Police shot to death two leaders of the military wing of the Gamaa al Islamiya (Islamic Group) in southern Egypt, security sources said. They said that a police patrol saw the men going into a house Tuesday afternoon in the village of Zouk el Gharbiya, 250 miles south of Cairo, and shooting started when police tried to arrest them. The two were identified as Mahmoud Abdallah and Ali Sutouhi.

Two masked men armed with machine guns and hand grenades opened fire on an Israeli tour bus Sunday, killing at least nine passengers and wounding 16 others on a narrow stretch of desert highway near Cairo. Authorities said the bus, bound for the Egyptian capital with 31 Israeli tourists, was forced to stop shortly before dusk by two men who climbed aboard and began attacking passengers with machine guns and at least four grenades.

Egypt's largest Muslim militant group claimed responsibility Saturday for the attack that killed 18 Greek tourists near the Pyramids of Giza but said it had been meant for Israeli tourists to avenge Israel's bombing in southern Lebanon. Gamaa al Islamiya, or the Islamic Group, also warned that "Jewish interests" in Egypt would be hit until Israel halts its assault in Lebanon. It pledged more attacks "in coming days" and repeated earlier warnings for tourists not to come to Egypt.

The execution of a Muslim militant who plotted to kill Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and the murder of a militant's father in southern Egypt brought to a bloody end another year in which the government tried in vain to crush the armed fundamentalist movement. Hamada Mohammed Lotfi was hanged in a Cairo prison Saturday for planting explosives at a military air base near the Libyan border in hopes of assassinating Mubarak.

Suspected Muslim militants shot dead four policemen in southern Egypt on Sunday, bringing December's police death toll to 18--the highest since militants began fighting to overthrow the state in 1992. Gunmen ambushed and killed the policemen as they were on their way to work in El Qusiya, a militant stronghold 186 miles south of Cairo, security sources said. A civilian also died in the shooting.

Two masked men armed with machine guns and hand grenades opened fire on an Israeli tour bus Sunday, killing at least nine passengers and wounding 16 others on a narrow stretch of desert highway near Cairo. Authorities said the bus, bound for the Egyptian capital with 31 Israeli tourists, was forced to stop shortly before dusk by two men who climbed aboard and began attacking passengers with machine guns and at least four grenades.