Five killed in battle with Egypt bombing suspects

Five people were killed yesterday in a gunbattle between Egyptian police and a group of Bedouin suspected of helping the men who bombed three tourist resorts in Sinai in October, police sources said.

Three policeman, one of the suspects and a bystander were killed in the clash, which is still going on near the Sinai town of Ras Sudr, 150 km east of Cairo, they said.

Police have sealed off an area in the hills near Ras Sudr after receiving information that two of the four bombers were hiding there, they said.

At least 34 people - Egyptians, Israelis, Russians and Italians - were killed in the three bombings, which appeared to target east Sinai resorts frequented by Israelis. Police have said the other two bombers were killed by their own bomb.