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Deadly Attacks Heighten Tension in Egypt Deadly Attacks Heighten Tension in Egypt
(about 3 hours later)
CAIRO — Suicide bombers targeting a security checkpoint and a civilian bus killed at least two people in Egypt’s southern Sinai region on Friday, while in the capital, a police officer was killed in an explosion that struck a traffic post, the authorities said. CAIRO — Four separate bombings in Egypt killed at least five people on Friday in a sharp escalation of militant violence just weeks before the country is scheduled to hold a presidential election.
The spate of attacks came just weeks before Egypt is to hold a presidential election, a milestone officials have asserted will help stabilize the country. The first two attacks occurred in the southern Sinai region, shortly after dawn, when suicide bombers struck a military checkpoint, killing at least one officer, as well as a civilian bus carrying tourism workers, injuring four passengers, the Interior Ministry said.
The Sinai attacks occurred just after dawn in El Tor, the provincial capital, about 70 miles from the popular tourist resorts of Sharm el-Sheikh, the authorities said. One of the bombers approached a military checkpoint, detonating an explosive that killed two officers and the bomber. In the attack on the bus, the driver told state media that the bomber stood on the road that leads to Sharm el-Sheikh, holding what appeared to be a red icebox that presumably contained the bomb. Four passengers were injured, according to the Interior Ministry. A few hours later, a traffic officer was killed in the Heliopolis neighborhood of Cairo, the capital, when an explosive device detonated at a traffic post. And on Friday evening, a man whom the authorities identified as a military officer was killed when a bomb exploded in his car in the heart of downtown Cairo.
Attacks on Egypt’s security forces have become routine over the last eight months, but violence targeting civilians has been more rare. The Interior Ministry said the bus had been carrying factory workers, while state media said the passengers worked for a tourism company. The surge in attacks highlighted the faltering effort by the authorities to curb a wave of militancy that began a few months after the army removed President Mohamed Morsi in July. While attacks on Egypt’s security forces have become routine, violence directly against civilians, like the bus bombing, has been rare.
Later Friday morning, in the Heliopolis neighborhood of Cairo, an explosive device that was apparently planted near a traffic signal killed one officer and injured at least three others, officials said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Friday’s bombings. In recent months, jihadist groups have claimed responsibility for the deadliest attacks, often framing them as retaliation for a government crackdown on Islamists that followed Mr. Morsi’s ouster. The militants have singled out heavily guarded security headquarters, assassinated police officers in broad daylight and downed a military helicopter in the Sinai Peninsula with a rocket-propelled grenade.
The bombings highlighted the faltering effort by the authorities to curb a wave of militancy that began a few months after the army removed Mohamed Morsi, Egypt’s last president, in July. Officials fear that the attacks could disrupt the presidential election, which is scheduled to be held on May 26 and 27. In February, militants bombed a bus carrying South Korean tourists in a resort town, killing four people. Hundreds of police officers and soldiers have been killed over the past eight months, according to Egyptian officials. The government has struggled to repair the country’s image overseas while officials watch tourism, a critical source of foreign currency, evaporate.
Abdul-Fattah el-Sisi, the former army officer who led the ouster of Mr. Morsi, is expected to easily win. His role as Egypt’s de facto leader during the harshest crackdown on Islamist dissidents in the country’s recent history has raised questions about whether his election will calm the violence. The Sinai bombings on Friday occurred in the town of El Tor, the provincial capital, which is about 70 miles from popular tourist resorts in Sharm el Sheikh.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Friday’s attacks. Previously unknown jihadist groups that rose to prominence in recent months have claimed responsibility for the deadliest recent attacks, often framing them as retaliation for government atrocities. The militants have bombed heavily guarded security headquarters, assassinated police officers on city streets and downed a military helicopter in the Sinai Peninsula using a rocket-propelled grenade. Officials also fear that the attacks could disrupt the presidential election, which is scheduled to be held on May 26 and 27. Abdul-Fattah el-Sisi, the former army officer who led the ouster of Mr. Morsi, is expected to win easily. Government officials have asserted that a successful election will be a milestone in Egypt’s transition that will deliver greater stability.
In February, militants bombed a bus carrying South Korean tourists in a resort town, killing four people. Egyptian officials say hundreds of soldiers and police officers, many of them junior conscripts, have been killed over the last eight months. At the same time, though, Mr. Sisi’s role as Egypt’s de facto leader during the crackdown on Islamists has raised questions about whether his leadership will calm the violence. Mr. Morsi’s supporters have continued to hold regular demonstrations around the country, demanding the reversal of the military takeover.
Officials have struggled to repair the country’s reputation overseas, battling headlines about each new bombing as the government has watched tourism, a crucial source of foreign currency, evaporate. On Friday, at least two people were killed during a march by anti-military protesters in the coastal city of Alexandria, the Interior Ministry said.