Update 23 July:

Scores die in Sharm El-Sheikh car bombs

---

Shock in Sharm

A rapid series of car bombs and another blast ripped through a luxury hotel and a coffeeshop in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheik early Saturday, killing at least 88 ñmost of them Egyptians- and inuring 160, a hospital official said. Terrified European and Arab tourists fled into the night, and rescue workers said the death toll could still rise.

The attack, Egypt's deadliest terror hit ever, appeared well coordinated. Two car bombs, possibly by suicide attackers, went off simultaneously at 1:15 am just more than 2 miles apart A third bomb, believed hidden in a sack, detonated around the same time near a beachside walkway where tourists often stroll at night.

Several hours after the attacks, a group citing ties to Al-Qaida claimed responsibility for the explosion on an Islamic web site The group, the Abdullah Azzam Brigades, Al-Qaida, in Syria and Egypt, was one of two extremist groups that also claimed responsibility for October bombings at the Egyptian resorts of Taba and Ras Shitan that killed 34 The group also claimed responsibility for a Cairo bombing in late April.

The authenticity of the statement could not be immediately verified.

But interior minister Habeeb El-Adli said there are some indications the latest bombings were linked to last fall's Taba explosions.

"We have some clues, especially about the car that was exploded in the Old Market, and investigators are pursuing," said El-Adli

Police arrested 35 people in the Sharm el-Sheikh area, security sources said, but it was not clear if they were suspected of close links with the bombers.

In an unprecedented move, President Hosni Mubarak flew briefly into Sharm El-Sheik and went directly to inspect the scene at the Ghazala hotel Heavily armed security forces guarded Mubarak as he walked past the bomb-ravaged complex and spoke with officials.

" This cowardly, criminal act is aimed at undermining Egypt's security and stability and harming its people and its guests, "the president said in a short statement read on television. "This will only make us more determined to pursue terrorism and dig it out by the roots.

"We will not give in to its blackmail, or seek a truce."

At least eight foreigners were among the dead, Al-Adli said They included British, Dutch, Kuwaitis, Saudis and Qataris, one security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was giving information not yet included in the official statement.

The death toll could rise, rescue workers said The lobby of the 176-room Ghazala Gardens hotel in Sharm's Naamah Bay, the main strip of hotels, collapsed into a pancaked pile of concrete After hours of clearing through piles of rubble and scrap metal, emergency workers called off rescue efforts, at least temporarily, there around midday

On the other side of Sharm in the Old Market, a second car bomb in a minibus parking lot sent a ball of flaming wreckage shooting over a nearby beach and into the sea and littered the sand with body parts Overturned chairs, broken waterpipes and pools of blood were scattered around the ravaged coffeeshop nearby, frequented by Egyptians who work in the resorts

"The country's going to come to a stop That's it!" sobbed Samir al-Mitwalli, who arrived in Sharm only a month ago to work as a driver "Who's paying the price? Whoever did this wants to destroy the economy"

Sharm el-Sheik has expanded at a furious pace in recent years, making it a major player in Egypt's vital tourism industry, drawing Europeans, Israelis and Arabs from oil-producing Gulf nations Mubarak has a residence where he spends the winter, and the town has been the host to multiple summits for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Source: AP and Reuters