Egypt

Police arrest 22 suspects in downtown hotel attack

Security forces said they arrested 22 people on Wednesday who were suspected of storming the InterContinental Semiramis hotel in Cairo the day before.

The arrests bring the number of people detained by police in the capital to 200 since deadly clashes broke out last week following the second anniversary of Egypt's uprising. Police from the Qasr al-Nil station are credited with the arrests.

An unnamed security source said dozens of people had invaded the hotel along the Nile Corniche on Tuesday amid clashes between protesters and security forces. The assailants stole property from storefronts, set the exterior aflame and destroyed the hotel's entrance.

One of the men had a safe containing gold jewelry in his possession at the time of his arrest. The suspect said he stole the safe from two other thieves after threatening them with a knife, according to an anonymous security source.

Security forces in Cairo also arrested a masked man with a rifle who they say fired birdshot at protesters in Simon Bolivar Square on Tuesday.

Reports of the incidents were filed and the suspects were referred to the Public Prosecution.

Edited translaiton from Al-Masry Al-Youm

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