Main suspect in St. Mark Cathedral attack was in Egypt’s custody before he was set free

Commenting on Alexandria’s St. Mark Cathedral attack, Kuwaiti security sources blamed the Egyptian authorities for releasing Abu Ishaq Al Masry, the suicide bomber and main suspect, after he had been deported from Kuwait and handed over to Egypt for links with Daesh (ISIS).

According to Kuwaiti Al-Qabas newspaper, the main suspect in the bombing of St Mark’s Cathedral in Alexandria is Abu Ishaq Al Masry,  came to Kuwait in October 2016 with a work permit as an accountant. He was summoned by Kuwaiti state security apparatus for investigations over information received from the Egyptian State Security Department.

A s a result, he went through intensive investigations for his links with Daesh (ISIS).

After his relation to ISIS was proved, he was deported from the country and handed over to the Egyptian authorities.

Moreover, some of his family members were also deported from Kuwait, according to Al-Qabas newspaper.

Then, he was held in Egypt’s custody for investigations over his links with ISIS, but he was released later.

Security sources said that Abu Ishaq Al Masry was born in September 1990 in el-Minya governorate. He had a Bachelor of Commerce, and entered Syria in 2013, according to Al Ahram.

ISIS has claimed responsibility for the two attacks on churches in Egypt that were packed for Palm Sunday. The two bombings killed at least 47 people and injured around 100.

ISIS claimed the attacks via Amaq new agency, which is affiliated with the group, after it previously warned that it would step up attacks on Egypt’s Christians.

The first bomb went off at a Coptic Christian church in the Nile Delta town of Tanta.

Hours after the first bomb, another bomb exploded at Saint Mark’s Cathedral in the coastal city of Alexandria, just after Pope Tawadros II finished services, as reported by the Associated Press.

His aides later told local media that he had escaped unharmed.

Despite ISIS claim that it is responsible for the two Church bombings, however, the security forces as well as the pro-state media still accuse the Muslim Brotherhood group of carrying out terrorist attacks in the country.

Muslim Brotherhood denounces church attack, blames Al-Sisi

In response, the Muslim Brotherhood accused the Egyptian authorities on Sunday of complicity in the deadly bomb attacks in the Nile Delta cities of Tanta and Alexandria, which killed at least 44 people.

The MB movement said in a statement, “The Muslim Brotherhood condemns this painful incident and professes its innocence of the innocent blood that has been spilt.”

The group also stated that, “Fascist regimes have taken a unified approach in their struggle to ensure their survival by creating an imaginary enemy called terrorism to cover up their failure and garner the sympathy of ordinary people.”

The MB statement added, “We accuse the…regime of orchestrating or facilitating the two incidents.”

Also, the MB had strongly condemned the December church bombing, which killed at least 29 worshippers at the time, saying, “Shedding the blood of any Egyptian is prohibited; Christian or Muslim.”