ISMALIA, July 27 (Reuters) - Armed and masked Bedouin tribe members hijacked a bus from an industrial area in Egypt's central Sinai peninsula on Tuesday, July 27, security and tribal sources said.
The bus was carrying 30 employees of Sinai Cement who were dumped before the hijackers fled with the vehicle.
Police have stepped up security in the area to try to find the culprits. An official at Sinai Cement, the local unit of France’s Vicat, said the firm was not immediately aware of the hijacking.
Nomadic Bedouins complain of neglect by the government and say they do not see benefits from economic growth in Sinai. They say tough conditions have led some of their people to resort to smuggling and other activities the state considers criminal.
Police detained thousands of Bedouins after a series of bombings at tourist resorts in south Sinai in 2004-2006. Relations were strained, with sporadic clashes with security forces.
Analysts say the government has now changed tactics, releasing some detained Bedouin and promising economic opportunities to leaders to secure their allegiance as they hunt tribesmen involved in smuggling and migrant-trafficking.
The government has promised more development opportunities, including setting up an oil services company to develop Sinai and promising to hire half the staff from the Bedouin.
