Egypt: Cairo was hit by series of explosions on Thursday

Vodafone shop in Mohandeseen, Cairo, where one of the bombs
exploded early on Thursday
(Image: Ahram Online)

Egyptian capital Cairo was hit by series of explosions early in the morning on Thursday, 26 February. A total amount of four bombs have detonated in greater Cairo area, leaving one dead and at least nine people killed.

One bomb, detonated remotely, exploded early in the morning in front of the police station in El-Waraq district in Giza governorate, according to security source. This blast left six people injured, including police personnel and a conscript, according to the information of Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Health.

Two bombs were reportedly found in the area, thus, the team of specialists has arrived in order to defuse the second explosive device.

Other two bombs exploded also early on Thursday in front of mobile network providers’ offices, Vodafone and Etisalat, in Mohandeseen, also greater Cairo area. The bombs were reportedly small and caused no casualties and injuries, leaving only some shattered glass and some damages of the facades of the shops.

The fourth bomb exploded in front of the restaurant in the district of Imbaba, leaving one person killed and a least three people injured, all of them workers. All the injured persons were transported to the hospital, while the one who was killed as a result of a blast, has died at the hospital from the injuries, according to the Ministry of Health official spokesperson Hossam Abdel Ghaffar.

It was also reported that police was alerted of a presence of an unidentified object near the restaurant in Imbaba, but the explosive device detonated before the team of specialists arrived to diffuse it.

Egyptian police and security forces have blocked and cordoned off the area and the roads leading to it, patrolling the neighboring streets. Special explosives’ experts’ team has also arrived.

Since the ouster of the Islamist backed President Mohamed Morsi in 2012 Egypt has experienced a lot of major and minor blasts and explosions, targeting not only army and security personnel but civilians as well.

Egypt’s police and security sources have stated that authorities have been on alert for the attacks and bombings in Cairo and in other governorates in Egypt ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections, scheduled to be held in March-April 2015.