Special to WorldTribune.com

CAIRO — Egypt has been struggling with a spate of abductions, including those of security officers, in the Sinai Peninsula.

Security sources identified the abductors as members of the Al Qaida-aligned Tawhid W’al Jihad, which also maintains a presence in the neighboring Hamas-ruled
Gaza Strip.

“They [insurgents] are monitoring army and police patrols and choosing to strike when they are far away from any help,” a source said.

On May 17, seven soldiers and security officers were abducted near the northern provincial capital of El Arish. Egypt’s official Middle East News Agency identified the captives as an Egyptian Army soldier, four security officers at the El Arish port and two members of the State Security Directorate.

The sources said Tawhid has demanded the release of Islamist detainees. They said the detainees included gunmen in jail on suspicion of killing   five security officers in El Arish in 2011.

Over the last year, Bedouin and Islamist gunmen have abducted numerous
civilians, including Western tourists, in Sinai. This marked the first
successful abduction of Egyptian Army and CSF personnel.

Egypt has again urged Hamas to help in the search for the abductors. But
the sources said the regime of President Mohammed Morsi has been
disappointed by the Hamas effort. Morsi has been consulting with his defense
minister and interior minister regarding a response to the kidnappings.

On May 17, Egypt closed the Rafah Border Terminal with the Gaza Strip
and prevented Hamas security officers from entering the facility. The
sources said Egyptian security forces also shut down seven smuggling tunnels
from Sinai to Gaza.

“We consider the continued closure of the crossing unjustified and
incomprehensible,” Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said.