Two killed, three injured in blast near Egypt's Al-Azhar: ministry

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Reuters
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Web Desk
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One of the first photos of the explosion site near Al-Azhar Mosque, Cairo, Egypt, February 19, 2019. Twitter/Omar Hatem (@omar_hatem1)/via Geo.tv
 

CAIRO: At least two people were killed and three wounded in an explosion behind the famed Al-Azhar Mosque when a suicide bomber allegedly blew himself up the capital city, Egypt's ministry of interior confirmed.

Both the deceased were police officers, the ministry noted, adding the suspect was also killed in the blast. Among the wounded was a Thai student who suffered light injuries, security sources said.

The interior ministry's statement corroborated the social media reports, saying the suspect, who was believed to have planted an explosive device last week near a mosque, was being pursued over an attempted attack last Friday against a police patrol.

After catching the suspect in the ancient Islamic district close to the Al Azhar mosque, “one of the explosive devices in his possession exploded, causing the death of the terrorist and the martyrdom of a police officer from national security and an officer from Cairo investigations (department)”, the statement said.

State television broadcast a black-and-white photo of the suspect, whom it identified as 37-year-old Al-Hassan Abdullah.

Earlier, two local newspapers and a resident on social media had also reported the blast, with social media posts indicating that the suspected bomber detonated as he was being chased by security personnel.

Over the past year, Egyptian security forces have been waging a campaign against extremists focused on Egypt’s Sinai peninsula. On Saturday, the country's military said 15 of its personnel died in a clash in North Sinai in which seven militants were also killed.

Attacks in the capital are relatively rare, though a roadside bomb in Giza killed three Vietnamese tourists and an Egyptian guide in December, last year.