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Israeli, Norwegian Tourists Kidnapped in Egyptian Sinai

The kidnapping of an Israeli man and Norwegian woman in Egypt's Sinai peninsula occurs as the Egyptian government has undertaken a "highly secretive operation" to secure the region, writes Mohamed Fadel Fahmy from Cairo.
An Israeli soldier stands near the border fence between Israel and Egypt as African would-be immigrants sit on the other side near the Israeli village of Be'er Milcha September 6, 2012. Israel ruled out entry on Wednesday for 20 Africans, whom Israeli media said were from Eritrea and included at least one woman and child, who have camped on its desert border with Egypt for almost a week, part of a crackdown on migrants who walk across the porous frontier. The fence along the 260 km (160 mile)-long frontier

CAIRO — Masked Bedouin gunmen in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula kidnapped two tourists, an Israeli man and a Norwegian woman, while they were traveling between Taba, near the Israeli border, and Dahab, a sea resort further south, late Thursday night [March 21], an Egyptian security official said.

"The driver was freed and rushed to Dahab police station and reported the kidnapping," said Gen. Ahmed Fawzy of the South Sinai police directorate.

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