CAIRO — Six Egyptian policemen and a border guard kidnapped by suspected militants in the volatile Sinai Peninsula last week were freed by their captors Wednesday after successful mediation, the country's military spokesman said. The release, which followed a security buildup and a massive show of force by the military in northern Sinai, brought an end to a crisis that had stirred anger with the public and within the security forces and held the potential to embarrass both the military and Islamist President Mohammed Morsi had it dragged on. The captors freed the seven men early Wednesday in the middle of the desert, and some were able later to speak to their families by telephone, according to officials and state TV. Military spokesman Col. Ahmed Mohammed Ali said on the army's official Facebook page that the release came about as a “result of efforts by military intelligence, in cooperation with the honorable tribal leaders and Sinai residents.” Morsi, however, trumpeted their crisis' end as the outcome of an “operation” that showcased “perfect” coordination between the armed forces, the police and security agencies. He also called for unity in a nation deeply divided, with the president and his Islamist backers in one camp and moderates, liberals, leftists and Christians in the other. After their release, the men were flown in a military helicopter to an air force base in a Cairo suburb, where Morsi greeted them on the tarmac with a kiss on each cheek as they disembarked. Prime Minister Hesham Kandil and Defense Minister Abdel-Fatah El-Sissi were also on hand to receive the men. Morsi later thanked the armed forces, security agencies as well as the people of Sinai and their tribal chiefs for their efforts to resolve the standoff. He also vowed to hunt down the kidnappers, saying “there will be no going back on bringing the criminals to account.” “This event will be a departure point for all of us to solve the problems of Sinai, its people and to develop Sinai,” he said. Over the past week, the kidnapping and the expectations of a massive military operation to free the hostages took center stage in Egyptian politics but also risked triggering a backlash in Sinai, where resentment among the local population against past security crackdowns has fueled the rise of militancy. Calls for a tough response were fueled by a video released last week on YouTube showing the captives blindfolded and pleading for Morsi to meet the kidnappers' demands and release of scores of prisoners from Sinai, including convicted militants. Faced with anger among the public and within the security forces over the kidnappings, Morsi had said that all options were on the table and that the presidency would not negotiate with the kidnappers. But several officials said mediators were in contact with the kidnappers to secure their release.— AP
