An Egyptian firefighter checks a crater made by a blast at the Egyptian police headquarters in downtown Cairo. (AP)
CAIRO: Three bombings hit high-profile areas around Cairo on Friday, including a suicide car bomber who struck the city’s police headquarters, killing five people in the first major attack on the Egyptian capital as insurgents step up a campaign of violence following the ouster of president Muhammad Mursi.
Nobody claimed responsibility for the attacks, but they bore the hallmarks of extremists who have increasingly targeted police and the military since the July 3 coup against Mursi and a fierce crackdown on his supporters led by the Muslim Brotherhood.
The explosions struck as the country was on high alert ahead of the third anniversary of the Jan. 25 start of the 2011 uprising that toppled autocratic leader Hosni Mubarak. Mursi’s supporters had vowed to use the event to gain momentum in their efforts turn to a new momentum to “break the coup.”
Friday’s violence began when a suicide bomber rammed a car into cement blocks surrounding the main Egyptian police headquarters in the heart of Cairo, killing at least four people and sending billows of black smoke into the sky. The blast also tore through nearby buildings, including the renowned Museum of Islamic Art.
Pray for peace in Egypt, it was actuall 4 bombings and several shootings. Supporters of the MB started a violent riot at the Pyrimads also. At least there not going after the churches yet, but the day is still young. Pray for there saftey. The sad part in the majority of Egyptians, both Coptic and Muslim wanted to be rid of the MB