Three men have been sentenced to death for their role in a spate of terror attacks in Sinai over the past two years. Jailan Halawi reports An Ismailia State Security Court has sentenced three members of Al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad, a recently discovered militant Islamic group, to death for their role in the devastating bombings that took place in Sinai in 2004. Younis Mohamed Elian, Osama Mohamed El-Nakhlawi and Mohamed Gaez Sabah are amongst 13 men being tried in connection with the October 2004 twin bombings at the Red Sea resorts of Taba and Nuweiba that left 34 dead and scores injured. Their death sentence must be confirmed by the Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa before it becomes final. In the meantime, the court has decided to postpone its sentencing of the remaining suspects, who have also been charged with belonging to a terrorist group, killing with the intention of sparking terror, premeditated murder, destroying public and private properties, possession, manufacture and usage of explosive material without licence, providing financial support for terror, hiding wanted suspects, and stealing the vehicle used in the attacks. Elian, El-Nakhlawi and Sabah all denied the charges, claiming their confessions were taken under duress, a charge vehemently refuted by the prosecutor, who argued that the testimonies given were detailed enough to convict them. "Why do these fanatics believe they can terrorise society and still have the right to live happily and freely without paying the price for their crimes?" commented a security source close to the investigations. "Sentencing them to the harshest penalty is the only way for justice to prevail, and to deter others with deviant thoughts [away from] walking in the footsteps of terrorists." The three men were reportedly key aides of the group's original leader, medical doctor Khaled Mosaed, who was killed in a gun battle with police near Jabal Halal near Al-Arish last year. Al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad was subsequently led by Nasser Khamis El-Mellahi, who was also killed in a police shootout, earlier this year, at Gabal Al-Arish in northern Sinai. Elian, his right hand man, was captured at the same time. Before his arrest, the 25-year-old Elian lived in Al-Masaeed near Al-Arish, working as a driver until he was recruited in 2003 by El-Mellahi. Besides his role in the Taba bombings -- which the prosecutor described as "central" -- Elian also allegedly took part in the 2005 bombings in Sharm El-Sheikh, in addition to carrying out a number of robberies in Al-Arish and a nearby village, the proceeds from which were used to help finance the group. The two other suspects, who are also from Al-Arish, are cousins. Known for their acumen in handling electrical devices, they supposedly set up the cars with the explosives that were used in the Taba and Nuweiba attacks. One of the them -- Sabah -- was described as the "engineer of the Taba bombings" for his key role in preparing the electric devices used as time bombs, and training other group members on how to operate them. El-Nakhlawi, meanwhile, managed to remain at large for nearly a year, taking refuge in the rugged Sinai mountains until police were tipped off that he was somewhere east of Ismailia; from there he made his way to Suez, where he was arrested by two policemen while attempting to steal a police vehicle; at first, they were not aware of how big their catch actually was. It was El-Nakhlawi who told police about a farm in Al-Arish where three men ended up being arrested in connection with the Sharm El-Sheikh bombings; nearly a tonne of explosives, which the forensic lab later proved was the same used in the Taba attacks, was also found at the farm, which police said was registered to a Palestinian national. Al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad, or Unification and Jihad, is described as a group of Sinai Bedouins, some of whom have Palestinian connections. Although the group has neither issued a statement nor claimed responsibility for the Sinai attacks or any others, the prosecutor said the militants had proclaimed the state religiously illegitimate, and were targeting foreign tourists, and especially Jews, in their attacks. In the meantime, security forces continue to be in hot pursuit of several other suspects who are allegedly planning additional attacks on Sharm El-Sheikh, where the security alert has been raised to the highest level.
