Benghazi attack suspect killed in Cairo shootout, one detained in Tunis

A man who was suspected to have involvement in September’s attack on Benghazi’s U.S. consulate has been killed in the Egyptian capital.

Authorities have only named the man as Hazem. He was killed after an exchange of fire with security services in the Cairo suburb of Madinet Nasr.

According to officials, Hazem was cornered in a flat early Wednesday morning. He threw a bomb at the security forces which bounced back and killed him.

A exchange of fire then took place lasting for several hours through the night. Hazem’s burnt body was found on the property along with weapons and explosives.

Emergency services put out a blaze caused by the bomb, and had to rescue residents using hydraulic ladders.

The BBC’s Jon Leyne, claims one possibility is that the suspect was trying to make his way to the Sinai peninsula, which has become a magnet for militants from across the region.

Tunis detainee

A Tunisian man, who is claimed to have been involved in the US consulate attack in Benghazi last month, has been detained.

The suspect, 28-year-old Ali Harzi, was in custody in the capital Tunis, said interior ministry spokesman Tarrouch Khaled, adding: “His case is in the hands of justice.”

US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta recently said the US has been looking into the arrests of two Tunisian men detained in Turkey reportedly over attacks on a consulate in Libya last month.