An Egyptian man who stabbed three foreign tourists to death and wounded another three at a Red Sea resort tried to join Islamic State, according to a police investigation, two security sources said.
Officials say Abdel Rahman Shaban Abokorah killed two German women and a Czech woman and wounded three other tourists at the popular Red Sea resort of Hurghada on July 14. He was caught by hotel staff and arrested.
Investigators recommend he faces terrorism charges, the two sources said. Authorities have so far not commented officially on motives for the attack and no group has claimed responsibility.
Both sources confirmed a Facebook page belonging to the attacker contains a series of references to Islamic State, with the militant group’s flag displayed prominently in his profile.
Authorities say the attacker killed the two German women and wounded two other tourists at the Zahabia hotel in Hurghada, then swam to a neighbouring beach to attack at least two more people at the Sunny Days El Palacio resort before being caught by staff and arrested.
The Czech woman was among the wounded. She later died of her injuries.
It was the first major attack on foreign tourists since a similar assault at the same resort more than a year ago. It came as Egypt struggles to revive tourism, which has suffered from security threats and years of upheaval.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s government is battling an Islamic insurgency that has killed hundreds of troops and police in northern Sinai and has started to attack other parts of Egypt.
