Armed gunman in Egypt ambushed Singaporean tour group and kidnapped tour leader

Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or M-F-A, says a group of armed men, who kidnapped a Singaporean tour leader in Egypt's Sinai peninsula yesterday, has released him. 

He was leading a group of 20 Singaporean tourists. 

In a phone interview with Mediacorp hours after he was released by his abductors, Mr Vincent Toh said he volunteered to follow the group of armed men as they wanted to kidnap a few members of his tour group when they were travelling from Sinai to Cairo. 

He added that the kidnappers didn't mistreat him. 

Mr Toh, who visits Sinai regularly, said his tour members were very scared. 

Reports quoted Egyptian security officials as saying that the armed gunmen are Bedouins, demanding the release of one of their tribesmen arrested for possessing drugs. 

The Singapore Embassy, which has been working closely with the Egyptian authorities, has been sent to accompany Mr Toh from El Arish to Cairo. 

The ministry said in view of the current situation in the Sinai peninsula, Singaporeans should avoid any overland travel to the Sinai area.