The two main suspects accused of planting an explosive device under the car of Judge Moataz Khafagy were killed in an exchange of fire with security forces, according to a Monday Interior Ministry statement.
The incident took place earlier in May, damaging five cars in the vicinity of the explosion and injuring a civilian who was close to the scene. Khafagy, however, survived the attempt.
Media reports labelled the suspects as “Muslim Brotherhood members”.
Khafagy, who is head of the Giza Criminal Court, is looking into several cases involving “terrorist cells” which are said to be affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood.
He notably looked into the case of “the Guidance Bureau”, where Muslim Brotherhood Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie was given a life sentence, along with 13 other defendants, while four others were sentenced to death.
The judge sentenced a further 12 to death, five to life imprisonment, and acquitted one person of charges for the killing of former Giza security chief Nabil Farrag in Kerdasa in 2014.
He is also looking into the “Ajnad Misr” and “missiles cell” cases. He is further overseeing the trial of 21 members of the football fan group Ultras White Knights (UWK) for the assassination attempt of Zamalek Club president Mortada Mansour.
The suspects’ death came two days following the attack launched in North Sinai, resulting in the death of three judges, their driver, and the injury of a prosecutor on their way to court. The attack was hours after ousted former president Mohamed Morsi was sentenced to death.
It is widely believed that the attack was in retaliation for Morsi’s sentence.
Following the attack, President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi ordered higher security protection for judges to carry on their jobs.
The Supreme Judicial Council decided that all judges must be secured at all times, during the emergency meeting held Sunday.
Security analyst Khalid Okasha told Daily News Egypt that attacks on the judiciary “will increase”. This is likely due to the Egyptian judiciary’s overseeing of several “terrorist” and militant cases, rendering it the target of Egypt’s militants. The latter are sending members of the judiciary signals through their recent attacks on the judges in North Sinai and the bombing infront Khafagy’s house.
Okasha said, however, that if serious protection measures are taken by security personnel, further losses of lives can be avoided. He added that this will require planning on behalf of the interior ministry, and will need to be well-funded, as it is not a routine task.
