Ansar Baytal-Maqdis announced on Monday its responsibility for the terrorist blast that hit the tourist bus near Taba, saying it was a suicide bombing.
A bomb exploded on Sunday at a tourist bus causing death of three South Koreans and the Egyptian driver as well as injury of 16 others.
In a statement posted on a jihadist website, the group said, “God has enabled your brothers of Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis to offer one of its heroes to blast the tourist bus that was heading to the zionist entity. This comes within our raids of the economic war against the traitor regime.”
The group declared in the statement its intentions to target the economic interests of the interim cabinet which has been running the country since ouster of deposed President Mohamed Morsy on 3 July.
In related news, the United Nations Security Council has strongly condemned the terrorist attack.
The council called for the perpetrators to be brought to justice in a statement on Tuesday saying that terrorism constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security, and that any and all terrorist acts are criminal and unjustifiable.
The council members offered condolences to people and governments of Egypt and South Korea. They also expressed sympathy with all the injured.
The Council reaffirmed “the need to combat by all means, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and all obligations under international law, in particular international human rights, refugee and humanitarian law, threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts.”
Meanwhile, US, State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki condemned the ‘coward’ terrorist attack which targeted innocent tourists.
She also offered condolences to families of the South Korean victims.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm and MENA
