The family of the convicted top Egyptian militant Hisham al-Ashmawy has not been formally notified about his execution on Monday, his lawyer Khaled El-Masry told Reuters.
Earlier, the online website of state news paper al-Ahram, and the private pro-government al-Shorouk and al-Watan dailies reported Ashmawy had been executed but later removed their reports from their websites.
“I think the media reports about his execution are not true especially after the media websites removed the reports,” said Masry.
Three security sources had also said Ashmawy, who has been described as the country's most dangerous Islamist militant, had been executed. An Egyptian military source who asked not to be named, however said the reports were not true.
Ashmawy, a former Egyptian special forces officer, was convicted on several charges, including plotting a 2014 attack that killed 22 military guards, and the attempted assassination of a former interior minister in 2013, the military said in November.
Ashmawy led the Sinai-based Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, Egypt’s most active militant group, before it pledged allegiance to Islamic State in 2014, it said.
Family of Egyptian militant not been notified of his execution
Image: REUTERS/MOHAMED ABD EL GHANY
The family of the convicted top Egyptian militant Hisham al-Ashmawy has not been formally notified about his execution on Monday, his lawyer Khaled El-Masry told Reuters.
Earlier, the online website of state news paper al-Ahram, and the private pro-government al-Shorouk and al-Watan dailies reported Ashmawy had been executed but later removed their reports from their websites.
“I think the media reports about his execution are not true especially after the media websites removed the reports,” said Masry.
Three security sources had also said Ashmawy, who has been described as the country's most dangerous Islamist militant, had been executed. An Egyptian military source who asked not to be named, however said the reports were not true.
Ashmawy, a former Egyptian special forces officer, was convicted on several charges, including plotting a 2014 attack that killed 22 military guards, and the attempted assassination of a former interior minister in 2013, the military said in November.
Ashmawy led the Sinai-based Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, Egypt’s most active militant group, before it pledged allegiance to Islamic State in 2014, it said.
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