An Egyptian soldier and a suspect were killed and four other soldiers were wounded in clashes in the Sinai mountains yesterday involving suspects in last year's attacks on Red Sea resorts.
Security sources said the dead fugitive was suspected of helping to plot the October attacks in the Red Sea resorts of Taba and Ras Shitan, which destroyed a wing of the Taba Hilton hotel and killed 34 people and wounded more than 100 others.
Eleven Israeli tourists were among the dead.
The clashes occurred as hundreds of security forces, backed up by tanks, fanned out in the Halal mountains of central Sinai. The forces have pursuing suspects in the Sinai hills for months. In February, three suspects were killed in gunbattles. At least one wanted militant is still at large.
Last week, Israel posted a travel warning that cautioned its citizens not to visit Egypt, particularly the Sinai peninsula. It said there was an increased threat of terror attacks.
The Taba bombings killed 11 Israelis. The alleged mastermind was a Palestinian refugee who lived in north Sinai. He died in the blast.
AP