Egypt arrests Brotherhood members allegedly linked to General Prosecutor assassination

Friday 04-11-2016 08:29 PM

Police man in front of the Interior Ministry headquarters in Cairo - REUTERS

CAIRO, Nov 4 (Aswat Masriya) - The Interior Ministry said on Friday that it arrested members of the Muslim Brotherhood allegedly responsible for the assassination of former Prosecutor General Hisham Barakat and several other recent attacks. 

The ministry said it found documents that revealed tasks assigned by Muslim Brotherhood leaders abroad, linked to several recent attacks.

Muslim Brotherhood leaders abroad developed the group’s organizational structure inside Egypt, the ministry said, by forming new armed groups including the Hassm movement.

The recently emerged Hassm has claimed responsibility for several recent attacks including the assassination of Barakat, the attempted assassination of Egypt’s former grand Mufti Ali Gomaa in August, as well as the death of a policeman in Behiera in October.

The attacks also included the attack on Deputy Prosecutor General Zakaria Abdel Aziz in September.

The ministry also said that it confiscated documents which outline the group's armed attacks and media strategies.

In early August, anonymous gunman fired at Gomaa as he headed to Friday prayers, leaving his aide injured.  

Another attack took place against Abdel Aziz a month later in late September, through a car bomb that targeted his convoy in New Cairo.

In May, the prosecutor general referred 67 people to criminal court for their alleged involvement Barakat’s assassination, saying they belonged to the Muslim Brotherhood and carried out the assassination in coordination with the Palestinian movement Hamas.

In October, the Interior Ministry announced the killing of Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Kamal, and another member, Yasser Shehata in an exchange of fire.

Kamal was also accused of being involved in the assassination of Barakat as well as the assassination attempt against Gomaa.

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