Egyptian security forces have discovered a plot to assassinate Israeli Ambassador to Egypt Shalom Cohen, the Egyptian daily al-Masry al-Yyoum reported on Saturday.
According to the report, Yasser Abdel-Kader Abdel-Fateh, Faraj Rajwan al-Ma’ani and Ahmad al-Sayyed al-Shaarawi, members of the al-Zeitoun cell, confessed to plotting to kill the ambassador, in addition to bombing his home and the Israeli embassy in Cairo last year. The three also admitted to having contacts with al-Qaeda.
According to the Egyptian State Security Prosecution, al-Zietoun, which carried out an attack in a Cairo market last February, also intended to target police forces, government offices, tourist areas, gas pipelines and religious sites.
The three men allegedly managed to monitor the movements of the Israeli Ambassador and planned to assassinate him through direct confrontation or an explosion.
The report attributed the plot’s failure to heavy security around the embassy and Cohen’s home.
