Car bomb blast at Egypt police facility leaves 29 slightly injured

A huge car bomb explosion ripped through a state security building in northern Cairo early on Thursday, injuring at least 29 people, including police, the interior ministry and state TV announced.

The powerful blast that took place in Qaliubiya’s Shubra El-Kheima district was heard in several parts of Greater Cairo.

No deaths have been reported so far, said Ahmed El-Ansary, head of Egypt’s ambulance authority. The interior ministry says six policemen were injured.

A driver parked the car bomb in front of the police building then escaped upon riding a motorcycle that followed him, according to a statement issued by the interior ministry on Facebook.

The parked car was remotely detonated as perpetrators are still at large, with security forces searching the area to capture them.

The explosion has damaged buildings and vehicles in the area and shattered window panes, a security source told Al-Ahram’s Arabic website.

Shubra El-Kheima district, where the explosion took place, is located north of Cairo and is considered part of Greater Cairo. On social media, residents from different Cairo districts say the blast was pretty loud.

Egypt has witnessed waves of bomb attacks primarily targeting policemen and police facilities since the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013.

No militant group has claimed responsibility for the Shubra El-Kheima attack thus far.

Islamist militants claimed responsibility for a host of bombings over the past two years, including IS-affiliated Sinai Province group, formerly known as Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis.

The previous bomb attack that was heard all across Cairo was on 24 January, 2014 when a car bomb went off in front of the Cairo Security Directorate, killing four and destroying the building facade. Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis claimed responsibility for it.

source:Ahram online