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Egypt crisis: Police chief dies in Cairo bombings | Egypt crisis: Police chief dies in Cairo bombings |
(about 9 hours later) | |
A police brigadier-general was killed and at least five people were injured when three bombs went off near Cairo university, officials said. | |
A group calling itself Ajnad Misr, or Soldiers of Egypt, said it was behind the attack. | |
The first two bombs went off within minutes of each other, with the third exploding about two hours later. | |
There has been a rise in militant attacks on government targets since the Muslim Brotherhood was ousted in 2013. | |
The government says militants have killed almost 500 people since last July, most of them policemen and soldiers. | |
There have been fears of an increase in violence in the run-up to the presidential election in May, correspondents report. | There have been fears of an increase in violence in the run-up to the presidential election in May, correspondents report. |
'Screaming' police | 'Screaming' police |
Ajnad Misr issued a short statement, saying it was targeting police officers involved in mass killings of protesters, the Associated Press reports. | |
The little-known group said the attack also came in response to increased detentions of female demonstrators. | |
Wednesday's explosions happened near a riot police post outside the main gate of the university's faculty of engineering. | |
The blasts were reported to have been caused by improvised explosive devices. | |
State TV named the dead officer as Tariq al-Mirjawi, the head of Giza's investigation department. | |
"I was waiting for the bus when I heard two explosions. There was dust in the air and policemen were screaming" an eyewitness told AFP. | "I was waiting for the bus when I heard two explosions. There was dust in the air and policemen were screaming" an eyewitness told AFP. |
The third explosion took place as journalists and emergency workers attended the scene, but was reportedly much smaller than the first two and caused no casualties. | The third explosion took place as journalists and emergency workers attended the scene, but was reportedly much smaller than the first two and caused no casualties. |
The BBC's Orla Guerin in Cairo says the area around the university has become a battleground for clashes between police and student supporters of the banned Muslim Brotherhood in recent weeks. | The BBC's Orla Guerin in Cairo says the area around the university has become a battleground for clashes between police and student supporters of the banned Muslim Brotherhood in recent weeks. |
The military-backed interim government outlawed the movement at the end of last year, declaring it a terrorist organisation. | The military-backed interim government outlawed the movement at the end of last year, declaring it a terrorist organisation. |
It accuses the movement of supporting attacks against the police and army - a claim the Brotherhood strongly denies. | It accuses the movement of supporting attacks against the police and army - a claim the Brotherhood strongly denies. |
Since the overthrow of the Brotherhood-linked President Mohammed Morsi, more than 1,000 people have been killed and thousands of members have been detained in a crackdown by the interim authorities. | Since the overthrow of the Brotherhood-linked President Mohammed Morsi, more than 1,000 people have been killed and thousands of members have been detained in a crackdown by the interim authorities. |