Israel warns of kidnap attempts by militants against holidaymakers

Israel warned its nationals yesterday that there was an imminent risk of kidnap attempts by militants against holidaymakers in the neighbouring Sinai peninsula in Egypt.

Israel's anti-terrorism unit said it had "concrete information" about an "imminent risk of a terrorist abduction operation."

Israel already issued a general warning to its citizens in February about the dangers of travel over the next few months to the Red Sea resort area which is a major draw.

The anti-terrorism unit cited "threats from (Lebanese Shiite militant group) Hizbollah and Iran."

The Sinai has been the scene of three major bombing attacks targeting Israeli or Western tourists.

In April 2006, 20 people were killed in the resort of Dahab; in July 2005, 70 people were killed in the resort of Sharm el-Sheikh; and in October 2004, 34 people were killed in Taba, by the Israeli border.

In April last year, Egyptian authorities said they had unveiled a plot by sympathisers of Hezbollah, which fought a devastating war with Israel in 2006, to kidnap or kill Israelis in the Sinai.

The security forces carried out extensive search operations in the peninsula's mountainous interior at the time, sparking protests among the indigenous Bedouin nomads.