Egypt militants step up campaign with Cairo blasts

 Militants have stepped up their campaign against security forces in Egypt with a series of explosions in the Egyptian capital, Cairo. 

 The blast outside Cairo's police headquarters left a huge crater

Six people were killed and some 100 others wounded, with the biggest blast outside Cairo's police headquarters.


The attacks come on the eve of the third anniversary of the 2011 uprising against President Hosni Mubarak.
Meanwhile, seven were reported killed in clashes between security forces and Muslim Brotherhood supporters.

The explosion outside Cairo's police headquarters left four people dead and wounded at least 76.
Hours later, there were three more blasts elsewhere in the city, killing two people and injuring several more.
 

Local media report that an al-Qaeda-inspired militant group, Ansar Beit al-Maqdis (Champions of Jerusalem), has said it carried out the attack on the police headquarters.

The group previously claimed responsibility for a car bomb attack on a security building in the northern city of Mansoura in December that killed 16 people and injured more than 100 others.
The authorities blamed the Muslim Brotherhood for that attack - something the group strongly denied - and declared it a terrorist group shortly afterwards.

An angry group gathered outside the bombed police headquarters, accusing the Islamist movement of being behind Friday's attacks. Some shouted "Death to the Muslim Brotherhood".
The Muslim Brotherhood condemned what it called the "cowardly bombings".
Brotherhood supporters and security forces clashed in Cairo and several other provinces on Friday, with at least seven people reported dead.

The interior ministry said it had arrested 111 people, saying they were "Brotherhood elements" who were "trying to provoke riots".
The Brotherhood has regularly held protests since the overthrow of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi last July.
Tense time
The police headquarters was hit by a powerful blast at about 06:30 local time (04:30 GMT). Black smoke could be seen rising over the city soon after.
Egyptian Interior Minister Muhammad Ibrahim said it appeared to be the work of a suicide bomber.
"A pick-up truck had two passengers inside, stopped outside the security cordon, and the suicide bomber blew himself up," he said.

The police headquarters and neighbouring buildings were badly damaged in the first, most powerful blast (Photos by BBC Arabic's Mohamed Assad)

 

The first attack was also the deadliest, killing four people and wounding some 76

 

The interior minister said it was believed to be the work of a suicide bomber

 

Police are on heightened alert already, with demonstrations expected ahead of Saturday's anniversary of the start of the 2011 uprising

 

Gunfire was reportedly heard soon after the blast, and more than 30 ambulances raced to the scene.
The blast left a huge crater and caused extensive damage to the front of the building.