Bombing kills six police officers in Cairo

Six police officers were killed and several were injured after an IED detonated at a security check point in Cairo, Egypt. According to Al Jazeera, a group called Hasm Movement (meaning decisiveness) claimed responsibility for the attack.

The Hasm movement said it targeted a police checkpoint in Haram Street, close to the famous Giza Pyramids with an explosive device.

“The explosion was very loud. We thought it was an earthquake. The glass of windows near the area broke because of the severity of the blast,” a witness told state TV.

Conflicting reports surrounded the attack.

Advertisement

“A statement on the official Facebook page of the Egyptian Interior Ministry confirmed a crude explosive device went off near the checkpoint. But state TV reported the blast was caused by a car bomb.” –al Jazeera

The group, Hasm, target what they describe as the oppressive government of Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Earlier this year, the group killed a police officer in Cairo and claimed responsibility for an assassination attempt against Egypt’s former Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa. During an interview, Brigadier Khaled Okasha (head of the National Center for Security Studies) stated the group has ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.

Here is the message from Hasam claiming responsibility for the bombings that killed and wounded police in Cairo:

Image courtesy of Reuters