Egypt bombings: six killed in Cairo by al-Qaida-inspired group

 
Police officers inspect the site of a bomb attack in front of the damaged Cairo Security Directorate building, which includes police and state security, in downtown Cairo January 24, 2014. A suicide bomber in a car blew himself up in the parking lot of a top security compound in central Cairo on Friday, killing at least four people in one of the most high-profile attacks on the state in months, security sources said. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany
25 January 2014

A statement in the name of a Sinai-based al-Qaida-inspired group has claimed responsibility for four bombings targeting police in the Egyptian capital that killed six people.

The claim in the name of Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, or the Champions of Jerusalem, was posted late on Friday on two main militant websites that have previously carried statements by the group and other al-Qaida allies.

It said the most powerful blast, an attack on Cairo's security headquarters that killed four, was a car bomb that was detonated by remote control.

It also claimed responsibility for three other attacks across the city, two of which killed one person each.

The group, based primarily in the restive Sinai Peninsula, claimed it would carry out more attacks in the future.

A statement said: "We tell our dear nation that these attacks were only the first drops of rain, so wait for what is coming up."

It warned "our people in Egypt to stay away from the police and security headquarters because we suffer a lot when we try to avoid inflicting harm to the Muslims".

Meanwhile, a new bomb went off in the early hours of Saturday next to a police training institute in eastern Cairo, causing no casualties but infuriating already tense residents.

The spokesman for Egypt's Interior Ministry Hani Abdel-Latif told The Associated Press that the blast took place at 7am in the busy district of Ein Shams, but damaged only the institute's walls.

Ahmed Mahmoud, an engineering student living close to the site of the attack, said that the blast shook his building and caused a brief power cut and, when he went down to inspect, he saw a wrecked car and a damaged electricity box.

He saw police cordoning off the area and ambulances rushing in. The police institute is metres away from a metro station.

The bombing came as Egypt marks the third anniversary of the 2011 uprising that toppled long-time autocratic president Hosni Mubarak.

Morsi supporters as well as military loyalists plan rival rallies. It has sparked fears of an intensification of violence following the ouster of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in a military coup on July 3, which followed millions-strong protests calling for him to leave office.

Mr Mahmoud said that angry residents vowed to attack any Islamist rallies that go their area. "People were saying they will carry arms and kill all Muslim Brothers who dare to pass from this place," he added.

Since Morsi's overthrow, media and security officials regularly report clashes between Muslim Brotherhood protesters and residents of the neighbourhoods through which they march.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in