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Updated 8.31pm
TWO IRISH WOMEN who were among hundreds of people trapped in a mosque in Cairo that had been surrounded by Egyptian security forces are reported to have been arrested.
Omaima Halawa (21) and her sister Fatima (23) were taken into custody by the the Egyptian security forces when they left the Al-Fath mosque where they had been taking refuge from the violence on the city’s streets, according to RTE.
The two reportedly managed to borrow a mobile phone to call relatives in Dublin to say they had been arrested.
The whereabouts of their two siblings – 27-year-old Somaia and 17-year-old Ibrihim – are unclear.
Earlier, Omaima and her siblings – the children of the Imam of the Clonskeagh mosque in Dublin, Ireland’s largest mosque – told RTÉ that they took shelter in the mosque to avoid live bullets outside. The 21-year-old said they were afraid to leave the mosque for fear of being attacked.
“There are kids who are hungry, we haven’t had anything to eat since yesterday, there’s no food, the water is rare and it’s a very critical condition,” she said.
The four had been on holiday in the Egyptian capital when the current wave of violence began.
Halawa added that she did not feel that she could trust the security forces and wanted a representative from the Irish embassy to bring them out of the mosque safely.
“The girls who left the mosque thinking they’d be safe were taken and attacked,” she said.
A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs told TheJournal.ie that it has been in touch with the family in Dublin and the Irish Embassy has made contact with the group in the mosque.
“We’ve also been in contact with the Egyptian authorities in relation to securing their safety,” they said.
Egyptian police cleared Islamist protesters from the mosque on Saturday after a standoff that included exchanges of fire, as the death toll from four days of violence surpassed 750.
The clashes came as the government said 173 people had been killed in the past 24 hours alone, bring the country’s death toll to more than 750 since Wednesday, when police cleared two camps of Morsi loyalists in the capital.
Originally published 12.13pm
- Additional reporting from AFP.
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Mark is a lovely guy and I hope he is found safe and well really soon. Sharing this article on social media can help raise awareness. Maybe someone has seen him.
I really hope he is found safe and well. I can’t imagine how hard this must be on the family.
Hopefully he is just being “a very naughty boy”, and will turn up with a rake of cool stories.
Really hope this lad is ok and he makes contact.
I just can’t believe you have just said that!! One of the most ignorant & inconsiderate comments I’ve read on Journal.ie. Life swings in roundabouts… Mocking is catchin….
People like him are just clowns Stephen. Best ignored in my opinion
At last that comment was removed! I hope they find this chap soon.
I understand this is the gardai’s press release, but its not entirely accurate. Mark is in my college class and was last seen leaving a lecture DIT on aungier st on tuesday night at about 9:40 before walking down towards Georges St.
It just seems strange to not provide his last known movements, but like I said I realise this is the gardai press release boilerplate.
Please God he is found safe & well.
I hope mark is found safe and well praying for his safe return a friend of the family
I’m leaving outside of Ireland, so just dropping in and out of the news. Why are so many young men going missing lately?
I do hope he and all the others are found safe but is this a bit quick.
Well I’m his brother and if you’re brother went missing you wouldn’t be saying that.
Last seen Sunday Sacha, 4 days ago….how is that a bit quick?
Hey Niall, really wishing you, your family and friends all the best and hoping for a good result man.
Best wishes to you Niall and family for a safe return.
Niall I wish you and everyone involved in this appeal and all others a very positive outcome and that there is a perfectly reasonable explanation.
Separately I unfortunately do have a brother who goes missing from time to time and the first few times were hard. Even on a 5 day trip to london he went missing for 2 days. His behaviour changed after a hit and run crossing the road. Unreserved apologies for any disrespect my comment may have caused. None was intended.
Chin up Niall. Hopefully he will be found safe and well
Hope he’s found safe and sound lad .dont mind these c***s who live pathetic lives
Fair play Sacha. Your sentiment and feelings understood by all I trust
I hope you find him, if he was last seen with a rucksack, maybe he planned to travel somewhere and you will find him soon, please god.
Was in Maynooth with him hope he’s ok everyone thinking of u and ur family Niall and that mark is too
Hi Niall I don’t know you but I know your sister and your mam our thoughts are with ye all at this tough time don’t listen to negative comments you have enough to deal with x
I hope u find him safe and well and bring him home to the people that love him
Any news on Mark, please god he was found safe and sound
have your say