Hurghada assailant referred to State Security Prosecution

CAIRO – 15 July 2017: Security forces referred the Hurghada assailant to the Supreme State Security Prosecution, on Saturday, for interrogation on charges related to the alleged stabbing and death of two German female tourists and four other nationalities.

The Public Prosecution of Hurghada are listening to statements from employees of the two beaches where the attack occurred, as well as, the injured tourists that are still in the hospital, but have a stable health condition.

A security source in the Kafr El-Sheikh governorate, which the assailant is from, revealed his name as Abdel Rahman Shaaban Abdel Rahman Badawi Abou Koura and resides in the Greater Mansha’ village.

The source told Egypt Today that the perpetuator is 27-years-old and is a “student” according to his civil file.

The source added that he has never been charged of any criminal or political cases. Further investigations have revealed that he studied in the school of commerce at Al-Azhar University.

Abdel Rahman arrived on a bus to Hurghada at 5 a.m. on Friday without being checked by security due to him having never charged with a case.

He then bought a kitchen knife from a home appliances shop, as Al-Masry Al-Youm reported.

The assailant headed to Zahabeya Resort’s beach and bought an entry ticket of LE 100. A few seconds later, he stabbed three tourists.

One of them being Russian and the other two victims are German. Afterwards, he climbed the fence and jumped onto a neighboring beach where he stabbed two other tourists.

Abdel Rahman attempted to escape when the resort’s security guards and other tourists began the race to catch him, throwing his phone and the weapon into the sea in the process. However, he was caught and handed over to police who retrieved the knife and phone from water, according to Al-Masry Al-Youm.