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Egyptian police dismantle new terrorist group -- Public Prosecutor

CAIRO, April 8 (KUNA) -- Egypt's Supreme State Security Prosecution (SSSP) has started interrogating 49 persons accused of planning for hostile acts against the country, Public Prosecutor Justice Abdulmajid Mahmoud announced on Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters here, Justice Mahmoud said the security services have sufficient evidence that the defendants belong to an organization financed by Lebanese Hezbollah party.
"They were tasked with recruiting new members loyal to Hezbollah and carrying out terrorist acts inside Egypt," he said, affirming that the defendants have been trained on bomb-making and terror attacks.
"The new organization was tasked with launching commercial projects and renting some real properties along the waterway of the Suez Canal to cover up on their clandestine activities.
"It planned to track the vessels passing through this vital international navigation route and tourist resorts and send information to be collected to Hezbollah bases in Lebanon," he revealed, citing the results of preliminary investigations.
"The security services spotted the activities of the group in North Sinai and South Sinai governorates," he disclosed.
The SSSP investigations showed that the hostile activities, which involved provision of large quantities of explosive charges, started after the speech made by Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrullah on January 12, on the occasion of the Shiite holy occasion of Asoura'.
In his speech which coincided with the Israeli military offensive on Gaza Strip, Nasullah tried to prod the Egyptian people and armed forces into rebellion in protest against what he deemed Egypt's "inaction towards the Israeli atrocities." "After that speech Nasrullah tasked a senior official in Hezbollah with preparing for militant operations inside Egypt," Justice Mahmoud pointed out. Meanwhile, Justice Mahmoud affirmed that the security services will follow the necessary legal measures in line with the penal code during investigations with the defendants.
The Egyptian Bar Association has been notified of the start of the prosecution process and the procedures of appointing defense layers and slating dates of the trial, he added. (end) bna.gb KUNA 082119 Apr 09NNNN