CAIRO: Security forces have acquired important information on the perpetrators of the bombing in Al-Hussein last February, Mufid Shehab, minister of legal and parliamentary affairs, told the Shoura Council Monday. Shehab told the members of the council that he had received a phone call from Interior Minister Habib Al-Adly who had provided him with significant details on the cell responsible for the bombing, the MENA news agency reported. He did not clarify whether the suspects were actually in custody, or that there was just a breakthrough in the case. MENA had said that the perpetrators were arrested but retracted the information shortly. Shehab said that the cell comprised members from Egypt as well as other countries, but did not say which, and said that the public prosecution would be notified of the details in the next few days. A locally made bomb exploded under a bench near Al-Hussein mosque Feb. 22 injuring 23 and causing the death of a 17-year-old French student. Another canister was detonated in a controlled explosion by authorities. Shehab did not say that the same cell was responsible for a similar type of explosion occurring at the Lady Virgin church in Helmiyat Al-Zatoun last week but alluded to it when he said that the government was keen to protect both Muslim and Christian holy sites. The two explosions resulting from canisters placed underneath cars parked in front of the church had a similar modus operandi to the bombing at Al-Hussein and it was believed that it might have been perpetrated by the same group.
