This article is from the source 'independent' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/cairo-bombing-giza-pyramids-explosion-hasm-movement-claim-police-killed-isis-attacks-egypt-a7465386.html
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 0 | Version 1 |
---|---|
Cairo bombing: Hasm Movement claims responsibility for explosion that killed six near Giza pyramids | |
(35 minutes later) | |
An emerging Egyptian terrorist group has claimed responsibility for a bombing that killed six security officers near the Pyramids of Giza on Friday. | |
The Hasm Movement said it launched explosion targeting a checkpoint on a main road near the tourist attraction in Cairo. | |
The blast struck near a mosque on Pyramids Road, the main avenue leading from the city centre out to the Giza pyramids, which is often used by tour buses, according to the state-run MENA news agency. | |
The bombing appeared to have targeted two police vehicles parked along the road at a mobile checkpoint. | |
It completely destroyed one of the vehicles and severely damaged the other. Dozens of people gathered at the scene as police cordoned off the area. | It completely destroyed one of the vehicles and severely damaged the other. Dozens of people gathered at the scene as police cordoned off the area. |
The Egyptian interior ministry said two officers, a police officer and three conscripts were killed, with three more wounded. | |
The Hasm, or Hassam Movement, has claimed several recent attacks in statements circulated online, including the attempted assassination of Egypt's former Grand Mufti in August. | |
Friday's bombing came days after the interior ministry said police killed three Hasm Movement members in southern Egypt as part of efforts to break the group's cells. | |
The Islamist militant group first emerged in July, when it claimed the assassination of police chief Major Mahmoud Abdel Hamid, the Jane’s Information Group reported. | |
Isis’ Egyptian affiliate has been behind a string of similar attacks targeting Egyptian security forces over the past year. | |
In May, militants opened fire on a bus filled with plain clothes police in the Cairo suburb of Helwan, killing eight of them. | In May, militants opened fire on a bus filled with plain clothes police in the Cairo suburb of Helwan, killing eight of them. |
An explosive device also struck a police convoy in Cairo in October, killing a pedestrian bystander, and several shooting and grenade attacks have been launched. | An explosive device also struck a police convoy in Cairo in October, killing a pedestrian bystander, and several shooting and grenade attacks have been launched. |
Isis’ Wilayat Sinai faction is waging a long-running insurgency in the Sinai Peninsula and was behind the downing of a Russian passenger plane flying from Sharm el-Sheikh in October 2015. | |
Insurgent attacks have intensified since a 2013 military coup that ousted Mohamed Morsi, the democratically elected leader of the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood party. | Insurgent attacks have intensified since a 2013 military coup that ousted Mohamed Morsi, the democratically elected leader of the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood party. |