The terrorist accused of the attack on Helwan Church made detailed confessions, saying: “I am proud and happy with the terrorist incidents executed and killing 29 citizens in separate incidents and wounding more than 20 others with automatic rifle”
“I tried to enter the church and I expected that I would be killed or be arrested,” he said. “This happened what happened as security forces shot me and the people hit me so that I lost consciousness.
The terrorist also confessed of killing a citizen and stealing his car to use it in his terrorist attacks and targeting St. Mina church in Helwan on Friday, and that he planned to do so and had observed the area after the attack on the Beni Suef ambush.
The terrorist added: “He was frustrated when he found the tight security around the church so he shot two people in a shop in Atlas to attract the attention of the church security, but they did not move and stayed around the church and that he was walking in the street when the doors of the church were closed, trying to blow up the bomb he had in any Coptic gathering, but he failed so he shot randomly at passers-by and anyone approaching the church believing that he was a Copt.
The terrorist is 33-year old Ibrahim Ismail Mostafa, a worker at an aluminum company who was previously involved in militant attacks against security forces, as well as crimes against civilians.
He resided at Mansheyet al-Sadd street in Helwan but has been absent from his residence after authorities attempted to search for him. He previously hid in plantations in Upper Egypt, as he is believed to be one of the perpetrators of an attack on a police vehicle in 2016.
Mostafa was injured and arrested during the attack. The automatic rifle in his possession was seized by the police, as well as an improvised explosive device (IED) which he intended to blow up the church with.
He also carried out attacks on his own, including on a road-toll on December 28 in Beni Suef that resulted in the killing of three workers. He also attacked a coffee shop in al-Amereya village, Ayyat, on December 23, killing three and injuring five others. Furthermore, he attacked a separate road-toll in Ayyat, Giza, on July 5, killing three workers.
He killed a citizen and seized his car in Helwan on August 8, 2016, according to the interior ministry.
The weapon seized from the suspect was found to be identical with the weapon used in all the above mentioned incidents, revealed the ministry.
