CAIRO: Six policemen were killed in a blast on a main street in Cairo on Friday, the Egyptian Interior Ministry said.
A crude explosive device went off near a checkpoint in Giza Al Haram Street, close to the Egyptian capital’s famous Pyramids, a statement posted on the ministry’s official Facebook page said, adding that three police conscripts had been injured in the explosion.
A security source earlier said there had been civilian casualties.
Police forces have cordoned off the area and explosives experts are currently combing the scene for other possible devices.
“The explosion sound was very loud. We thought it was an earthquake. The glass of windows near the area broke due to the severity of the blast,” a witness told state TV.
The Hassam Movement, a militant group which has claimed a string of recent attacks, said it was behind the bombing, in a statement circulated on social media.
— dpa
Egyptian security forces have been targeted by frequent attacks since the removal of president Mohammed Morsi in 2013 by the army following mass protests that demanded his ouster.
On Thursday, Egyptian authorities arrested Morsi’s son on charges of inciting violence. — dpa
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