Egyptian police surround two villages near bombings

CAIRO (Reuters) – Egyptian police surrounded two Bedouin
villages near the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday
as part of a hunt for people connected with bombings that
killed at least 64 people, a security source said.

Police believe two Pakistanis wanted for questioning may be
hiding in the villages, named as el-Ruweisat and Khurum, said
the source, who asked not to be named.

Arab satellite channels said Egyptian police were searching
for up to nine Pakistanis for questioning about the attacks,
which hit hotel and shopping areas in the resort.

They said the Pakistanis had been staying in hotels in
Sharm el-Sheikh but disappeared after the bombings early on
Saturday morning, leaving their passports at reception.

Egyptian security have distributed the photographs of about
50 people to checkpoints in southern Sinai, including some
Pakistanis, a security source said. But it was not clear if the
Pakistanis in the photos had been staying in the town.

At least 64 people, mostly Egyptians, were killed on Friday
in the bombings, which were Egypt’s worst attacks since 1981.
Officials at Sharm el-Sheikh International Hospital on Saturday
had put the number of dead at 88.