Egypt: 5 militants accused of training jihadists

An Egyptian man throws flowers during the funeral of 16 soldiers killed in an attack over the weekend by suspected militants in Sinai in Cairo, Egypt Tuesday Aug. 7, 2012. / AP Photo/Thomas Hartwell

(AP) EL-ARISH, Egypt - An Egyptian security official says authorities have accused five militants of training jihadists in an initial indictment linked to last weekend's attack in the Sinai peninsula that left 16 soldiers dead.

The official says some of the five were also accused of involvement in previous attacks on police stations, smuggling weapons and human trafficking between Egypt, the Gaza Strip and Israel. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press.

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The five accused on Saturday were among the first to be arrested since the surprise attack, where militants gunned down the soldiers as they broke their daily fast for the holy month of Ramadan.

The attackers then commandeered an armored vehicle and stormed across the border into Israel where six were killed.