73 get suspended terms for Israel embassy attack

CAIRO (AFP) - An Egyptian military court on Monday handed down six-month suspended jail sentences to 73 people accused of involvement in an attack on the Israeli embassy in September, a military source said.

Two other people were acquitted.

The September 9-10 attack on the Israeli embassy in Cairo by a crowd angered by Israel's killing of Egyptian policemen on the border forced the evacuation of staff including ambassador Yitzhak Levanon.

Three people were killed and more than 1,000 wounded, including 300 policemen, in clashes between protesters and security forces outside the embassy.

Crowds smashed through an external security wall, tossed embassy papers from balconies and tore down the Israeli flag.

It was the worst incident since Israel set up its mission in Egypt, the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with the Jewish state in 1979.

It was also the latest episode in worsening relations since the killing of six Egyptian policemen on their border as Israel hunted militants after a deadly attack in August.

© 2011 AFP