Egypt: explosion hit Cairo in the morning, as military attacked militants’ hideout close to Suez

Explosion hit Cairo's Dokki district
(Image: Ahram Online)

Egypt’s capital Cairo was hit by an explosion in the morning of Tuesday. A blast occurred at nearly 7 a.m. local time in Dokki district, located in Giza, next to the security checkpoint.

The blast wasn’t massive, though three people were wounded, among them two policemen and one civilian. All of them have been transferred to the nearby police hospital for treatment.

Egypt’s police and experts are working on the ground, studying the area and the origin of the blast. Police has reportedly arrested the suspect, after he was chased by the police car.

Later on Tuesday another explosion hit Cairo, caused by a home-made bomb again. This time the bomb exploded in Al-Faisal Street in downtown Cairo. Two people have been wounded. Police cordoned and sealed off the area of the blast, the experts are working there.

It was said that this blast was meant to target a car of a police officer brother, thus, this explosion appeared to be the second in the line of today's blasts targeting police. It's not known yet whether these two blasts are connected to each other and were they carried out by the same people or group.

Egypt has experienced a wave of attacks against security and military objects and personnel since the ouster of the Islamist backed President Mohamed Morsi. Egypt’s Armed Forces have launched a massive anti-terrorist campaign against the Islamist terrorists and militants in order to restore security and stability in the region. Supporters and members of the Muslim Brotherhood, recently forbidden and declared to be a terrorist and extremist organization, are mostly blamed for these attacks and blasts. It’s worth mentioning also, that several explosions have hit some Egyptian cities in civilian areas before, including the horrible blast in Mansoura, which occurred at the end of December and left 15 people dead and at least 134 injured.

Egypt's Armed Forces during the operation against militants
(Image: Ahram Online)

Meanwhile Egypt’s Armed Forces has attacked on Tuesday a group of the Islamist militants in the frameworks of the massive anti-terrorist operation which is ongoing in the country during several months, as Egypt, especially Sinai Peninsula, has experienced many deadly attacks aimed at the soldiers and police personnel. The operation was carried out in the morning, as the hideout of the militants was discovered by the soldiers. The militants were attacked, and their hideout stormed and captured by the Armed Forces.

One soldier was killed during the operation. One of the militants was reportedly killed as well. Soldiers have also seized the warehouse of weapons owned by the militants.

This operation was carried out close to the Suez Canal, on the Cairo-Suez highway, just several hours before the expected visit in the region of Egypt’s recently appointed Head of the Armed Forces and Minister of Defense Sedki Sobhi, who replaced General Abdel-Fattah El-Sissi, who runs for Egypt’s President.