Egypt says foils suicide attack on foreign embassyMay 11, 2013 - 19:54 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Egyptian security forces thwarted an al Qaeda-linked group's plan to carry out a suicide attack on a foreign embassy and captured several militants, the interior minister said on Saturday, May 11, according to Reuters. Mohamed Ibrahim, speaking in a televised news conference, declined to say which embassy had been targeted. He named three suspected members of the cell now under arrest. "The Interior Ministry was able to direct a qualitative blow to a terrorist cell that was planning suicide operations against vital, important and foreign facilities in the country," he said. One of the captured militants had traveled to Pakistan and Iran to receive training, and was a member of al Qaeda in Algeria, Ibrahim said. An Algerian al Qaeda leader claimed responsibility for a January siege of an Algerian gas plant in which 37 foreign hostages were killed. Security in Egypt has deteriorated since a 2011 uprising that ousted President Hosni Mubarak, whose three-decade rule was marked by fierce crackdowns on militant Islamists. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Putin congratulates Pashinyan’s birthday Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on his birthday on June 1. Opposition motorcade en route to Gyumri for large rally A motorcade of protesters headed by Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan is heading to the city of Gyumri. Ruling MPs, Foreign Minister talk Armenia-Azerbaijan processes MOs from the ruling Civil Contract party met with the Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan in the Armenian parliament. Russia: Armenia’s frozen membership weakens CSTO position in Caucasus A Russian envoy said any step that could alienate the CSTO member states from each other is “deeply wrong”. |