The military has started an investigation over fabric it says it seized in a tunnel to Gaza to find out why the fabric was smuggled, where it was being taken and how it would impact national security, a military source in North Sinai Governorate said.
A military spokesperson had said earlier Sunday that the Armed Forces seized fabric printed with patterns similar to security forces’ uniforms, warning people to be aware, in case the fabric is used to impersonate security personnel.
The military arrested two people present at the entrance of the tunnel, the North Sinai source told Al-Masry Al-Youm, adding that military intelligence officers formed the investigation team.
The source said preliminary investigations with the two suspects are under way at a military area in North Sinai. The military is also looking for five other Egyptian suspects, whom it said would be interrogated within hours.
The source said investigations could indicate whether Gazans were involved in Egypt’s ongoing security problems, as well as raise questions on whether Gazans were also involved in killing demonstrators during the 25 January revolution.
The source said the military used to deal with these allegations as “rumors,” and was waiting for hard evidence to support these allegations, according to Al-Masry Al-Youm.
The source added that the military would publicly announce the results of the investigations.
Earlier Sunday, military spokesperson Colonel Ahmed Mohamed Ali had wrote about the fabrics in a statement on his Facebook page. He said Armed Forces members had discovered a tunnel opening in Sarsoureya, south of international sign 4, on Saturday afternoon.
The statement said the military found sportswear and fabrics being transported to the Gaza Strip.
The announcement came after a military source told independent daily Al-Shorouk that the perpetrators of a deadly attack on a Rafah army camp last August, which killed 16 Egyptian soldiers, included 40 Palestinian jihadis.
Al-Ahram Al-Araby published the names of Hamas leaders, alleging they were behind the Rafah attack — an accusation Hamas denied, saying Egyptian media seek to harm relations between Egypt and the Palestinians.
