Destroyed vehicles of an Egyptian police convoy which came under fire in an apparently well-planned ambush from a heavily armed militant group, lie in the desert at the Bahariya Oasis in Siwa, southwest of Cairo, Egypt, in this undated handout picture made available by the Ministry of Defence November 1, 2017. Ministry of Defence/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY
Destroyed vehicles of an Egyptian police convoy which came under fire in an ambush by militants in the Western Desert in late October. Ministry of Defence via Reuters

Egypt detains suspected Libyan militant over desert attack



The Egyptian public prosecutor has ordered that a suspected Libyan militant and 14 others be held for 15 days pending an investigation of their role in a deadly attack in Egypt's western desert last month, the state news agency Mena reported on Friday.

The interior ministry said on Thursday that Abdelrahim Mohamed Al Mesmari, from the Libyan city of Derna, was captured by Egyptian forces following the attack.

Security sources initially said at least 52 policemen were killed when militants attacked a patrol, firing rockets and detonating explosives in a remote part of the desert. The interior ministry refuted those figures and said 16 were killed.

Charges against Mr Al Mesmari will include premeditated murder of police officers, possession of firearms and joining a terrorist organisation, Mena reported.

A new and little known group called Ansar Al Islam claimed responsibility for the October attack, posing a new threat to Egyptian security forces, which have been battling an ISIL insurgency in the Sinai peninsula since 2013.

The Interior Ministry said previously that it killed 15 militants and arrested 29 during a raid against the group it blamed for the attack, and said that all had been trained in Dern. (Reporting by Omar Fahmy; Writing by Eric Knecht; Editing by Larry King)

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The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

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Key figures in the life of the fort

Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.

Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.

Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.

Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.

Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.

Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.

Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.

Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.

Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae

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David Haye record

Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4