(Photo by Basil El-Dabh/DNE)
Two consecutive explosions went off outside Cairo University’s Faculty of Engineering in Giza on Wednesday morning, killing one and injuring five.
The blasts were caused by two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) leaving Tarek El-Mergawy, Director of Western Giza Investigation, killed and five other police officers injured, according to the Ministry of Interior. The ministry added in a press statement that the IEDs were “planted inside a tree in the area”, across the street from Cairo University’s main gate.
Investigations into the blasts remain ongoing, the Ministry of Interior said.
Ambulances arrived at the scene of the explosion shortly afterwards.
Students at the Faculty of Engineering said security forces fired two teargas canisters outside the faculty right after the blasts.
Students Against the Coup (SAC), a student movement which supports former president Mohamed Morsi, cancelled a planned protest after the blasts. The movement denied they had anything to do with the explosion.
Maria, an SAC female coordinator who preferred to keep her last name withheld, said that SAC members left the university right after the blasts in fear of being searched or arrested by security forces. The movement accused the police of being responsible for the explosion “since they were present outside the university for the past week,” Maria said.
The SAC movement has been organising protests around university campuses nationwide for the past two Wednesdays. Protests devolved into clashes in both incidents, leaving at least one killed on 19 March and another killed on 26 March.
On 24 January, four bombs went off at four separate places in Greater Cairo, including the Cairo Security Directorate in Bab Al-Khalq neighbourhood. The four attacks left six people killed.
Sinai-based militant group Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis claimed responsibility for all the aforementioned attacks.
