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Two Egyptian policemen killed defusing bombs | |
(about 5 hours later) | |
Two Egyptian policemen have been killed trying to defuse bombs that exploded near the presidential palace in Cairo, interior ministry officials say. | |
The first blast killed one officer and injured three others. An hour later the other officer was killed. | |
Islamist militants said they had planted bombs in the area last week. | Islamist militants said they had planted bombs in the area last week. |
President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi promised swift "retribution" for the two deaths on the first anniversary of his rise to power. | |
Mass opposition protests a year ago culminated three days later in the military overthrowing President Muhammad Morsi. | |
In his recorded speech President Sisi referred to the dead policemen by saying: "I pledge before God and their families, the state will get just and speedy retribution." | |
Correspondents say that the dead bomb disposal experts were a police colonel and lieutenant colonel who were killed outside the Ittihadeya presidential palace in east Cairo. | |
Cairo's security chief told BBC Arabic that the head of the bomb-disposal department, Gen Alaa Abdel Zaher, was among those injured by Monday's explosions. | Cairo's security chief told BBC Arabic that the head of the bomb-disposal department, Gen Alaa Abdel Zaher, was among those injured by Monday's explosions. |
The militant Ajnad Misr group, or Soldiers of Egypt, is reported to have said that it planted several bombs near the presidential palace to target security forces. | |
It said that it did so without realising that civilians could be in danger and later said that it was not able to remove them, warning passers-by to be aware of the danger. | |
"There are two explosive devices... At the corner of the palace at the intersection of al-Ahram and al-Merghani streets," the statement on the militants' Twitter account is reported to have said. | |
Meanwhile, the civil defence deputy chief said security forces were also defusing two other bombs found outside the presidential palace. | |
Bombings and shootings by Islamist militants have left hundreds of security personnel dead since Mr Morsi was ousted on 3 July. | Bombings and shootings by Islamist militants have left hundreds of security personnel dead since Mr Morsi was ousted on 3 July. |
The militants have stepped up attacks in response to the crackdown on Mr Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood and its allies, in which more than 1,400 people have been killed. |
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