Last update - 00:00 02/09/2007
Egypt uncovers 2.75 tons of explosives in central Sinai
By Reuters
Egyptian police found 2.75 tons of explosives in central Sinai on Sunday, a security official said.
The explosives, hidden in 54 plastic bags, were found during a search in the el-Gefgafa area, 100 km southwest of the coastal town of El Arish, the official said on a customary condition of anonymity.
The police seized 250 kilograms of explosives in northern Sinai on August 19. Officials said at the time they suspected the explosives were destined for smuggling into the Palestinian territories.
Egyptian police routinely find large quantities of explosives and ammunition in Sinai, sometimes hidden in tunnels near the border with neighboring Gaza. On August 5 the Egyptian authorities found 500 kilograms of explosives in el-Gefgafa.
Egypt said in July the smuggling of weapons, ammunition and drugs through tunnels from Egypt into Gaza had dropped since the Islamist movement Hamas seized control over the coastal strip in June.
Israel has accused Egypt of not doing enough to stop smuggling, and the U.S. House of Representatives has proposed cutting $200 million of annual military aid to Egypt unless it improves border security and its human rights record.