CAIRO, May 1 (KUNA) -- Egypt dismissed Tuesday reports claiming that Saudi Ambassador in Cairo Ahmad Al-Qattan had come under assassination attempt in this north African country.
Egypt's official news agency, MENA, quoted an official source as billing such reports as "totally divorced from reality", saying that the Saudi ambassador in Cairo had never come under assassination attempt since he took over as the top Saudi diplomat in Egypt.
London-based Al-Hayat daily cited Tuesday a Saudi diplomat as saying that Egyptian security organs had arrested an Iranian cell involved in attempting to assassinate the Saudi ambassador.
Earlier on Saturday, Saudi Arabia recalled its ambassador from Egypt and closed its embassy and consulates there following protests over a detained Egyptian human rights lawyer.
Hundreds of Egyptians have rallied outside the Saudi Embassy in Cairo this week, calling on Riyadh to free Ahmed el-Gezawi, who was detained in Saudi Arabia for having allegedly tried to smuggle illegal drugs into the kingdom.
Egypt has been trying to defuse the problem with Riyadh as its military ruler Hussein Tantawi contacted Saudi officials in this respect. (end) zab.mt KUNA 011804 May 12NNNN