CAIRO: A Singapore tour leader who was kidnapped in Egypt has been freed and is scheduled to fly home, security sources confirmed to Bikyamasr.com on Saturday morning. The man had been taken by armed men in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula while traveling to Cairo, but was released unharmed, Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Saturday. The ministry said that Vincent Toh had been leading a group of 20 Singaporean tourists when they were intercepted by armed men while travelling from Sinai to Cairo. The ministry said the gunmen abducted him, but did not harm the other Singaporeans, who arrived safely in Cairo. Toh was released a few hours later, with the assistance of the Egyptian authorities. The ministry reported he was unharmed and is “now staying at a hotel in al-Arish, which is on the Mediterranean coast of northern Sinai.” A staff from the Singapore Embassy, which has been working closely with the Egyptian authorities, has been sent to accompany Toh from al-Arish to Cairo for his flight back to Singapore. In response, Singapore has issued a travel warning for Egypt's Sinai, warning its citizens to avoid overland routes in the area. The British foreign ministry has also warned its citizens away from Sinai Peninsula, citing the threat of kidnapping in the area. Other reports quoted Egyptian security officials as saying that the armed gunmen are Bedouins, demanding the release of one of their tribesmen arrested for possessing drugs.
