ISIS
claimed responsibility for a car bomb attack that wounded at least 29
people in Cairo early Thursday, saying it was retribution for the
execution of six men in May.
The
car detonated near the National Security Building in the northern
suburb of Shubra al-Kheemag, Egypt's Health Ministry said. The driver
had parked it then and was picked up by a motorcycle and fled before the
explosives went off.
Among
the 29 wounded were six police officers, the Interior Ministry said.
The
blast echoed through the capital for miles, waking residents in
predawn hours, London Times reported.
Video
revealed at least one building facade nearly defaced, cars mangled,
and heavy concrete street barriers knocked over near the bomb site.
ISIS
claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement posted on
Twitter. The group said it was carried out to avenge the execution of
six defendants in the Arab Sharkas case in May 2015.
Human
Rights Watch reported that the six men were part of a group of nine
convicted in attacks on security forces and killing two armed forces
officers in a shootout in 2014.
Egyptian
authorities said the men were connected to the Islamist militant
group Anbar Beit al-Maqdis, which has sworn allegiance to ISIS,
according to Egyptian state media.
The
group is based in the Sinai, where it has carried out multiple
attacks on police and military.
In
recent months, militants have increasingly launched brazen and deadly
attacks. The frequency of the attacks picked up after Egypt's army
overthrew President Mohamed Morsy, a former Muslim Brotherhood
leader following a popular uprising in July 2013.
Earlier
this week, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi signed a tough counter
terrorism law that gives Egyptian authorities sweeping surveillance
and detention powers.
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