'Sinai bomb-plotter' surrenders to police

An Islamic militant suspected of helping plot a string of bomb attacks against Sinai tourist resorts turned himself in to police today.

Twenty-six-year-old Mohammed el-Shenoub, 26, also known as Abu Jihad, surrendered to police in the Sinai Peninsula town of el-Arish near Israeli borders, said the chief detective of North Sinai police Brig. Gen. Adel Fawzi.

His detention came amid an intensified sweep by Egyptian forces against militants who carried out the series of resort attacks that killed more than 120 people – bombings against Taba and Ras Shitan in October 2004, Sharm el-Sheikh in July and Dahab in April.

Egypt has blamed a group calling itself Monotheism and Jihad and said this week that the militants received help from Palestinian extremists in Gaza.

The group also appears at least to be inspired by al-Qaida, though it is not clear if it has operational links with Osama bin Laden’s terror network.