Egypt's Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi Says There Have Been Attempts to Assassinate Him

Cairo: Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the former Egyptian army chief who deposed Islamist president Mohamed Mursi and is expected to win a presidential election this month, said there had been two attempts to kill him.

Sisi said in a joint interview with Egypt's privately-owned CBC and ONTV television channels there were "two attempts to assassinate me. I believe in fate, I am not afraid".

He did not say when the assassination attempts took place.

Sisi is expected to easily win the May 26-27 presidential election. The only other candidate is leftist politician Hamdeen Sabahi, who came third in the 2012 election won by Mursi.

Since the army deposed Mursi last July, militants have killed several hundred members of the security forces in bombings and shootings. The interior minister survived an attempt on his life in September.

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The army-backed authorities have outlawed Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood, and thousands of its supporters have been arrested and hundreds killed.

A court sentenced the leader of the Brotherhood and hundreds of supporters to death last week. Secular dissidents have also been jailed, leaving little organised opposition.

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Sisi has said his campaign would be unconventional - an apparent reference to concerns for his security. So far, there are no announced plans for him to appear in public.