CAIRO: Forensic reports of the Khan El-Khalili bomb blast last Sunday have concluded that the bomb was detonated from under one of the stone benches in Al-Hussein Square, the MENA news agency reported.
The bomb blast in Al-Hussein last Sunday night led to the death of a 17-year-old French girl and injuries to 23 others – 17 French, two Egyptians, three Saudis and a German woman.
There had been eyewitness who had stated that the bomb was thrown from the fourth floor of Al-Hussein Hotel overlooking the square but forensic examinations of the crime scene have ascertained that it was detonated after being left beneath one of the benches.
The report stated that the bomb, which weighed in at between half a kilo and 750 g was comprised of two canisters placed inside a plastic water cooler. It was detonated with a timer taken from a washing machine. The bomb was filled with gunpowder and rocks.
Another canister 30 meters away from the initial bomb site was detonated in a controlled explosion by police an hour and a half after the bombing.
Authorities are attempting to trace the origins of the gunpowder used in the bomb, which forensic reports indicated were of the type used for fireworks used during the Eid festivities. Police are questioning fireworks manufacturers in Izbet Abu Hashish and Manshiyet Nasser.
Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper reported that an eyewitness had seen the perpetrators of the attack, stating they were three men whom she pursued to their house in Helmiyat Al Zeitoun. Two of them were identified as Marawan and Nasser.
According to a security source the newspaper was quoting, the eyewitness stated that she saw a man throwing a bag from the window of the Al-Hussein Hotel into the street. It was picked up by another man who left it under one of the stone benches in the square.
After the explosion the two men rushed to a taxi cab that was waiting for them with a bearded man seated inside besides the driver.
The three Saudi tourists who had been injured in the blast returned to Saudi Arabia Wednesday after being treated for their wounds, which were superficial in nature.
Egypt’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Mahmoud Ouf was present to receive them and announced that investigations were still ongoing to ascertain the identity of the perpetrators behind the attack.
Police have taken in 11 suspects from the site of the bombing for questioning while releasing three – two women wearing the niqab and a man – who had been detained on Monday and were the initial suspects.
