Civil protection forces discovered Saturday an improvised explosive device (IED) attached to a car parked outside a hotel in Fayoum, state-run newspaper Al-Ahram reported.
The car reportedly belonged to a friend of the head of Fayoum police station intelligence. The head of intelligence was set to ride in the car before the bomb was discovered. The civil protection forces were able to defuse the IED.
Earlier Saturday, an IED exploded at a power station in Fayoum, according to state media. The bomb reportedly caused some damage to the station.
Two other IEDs were discovered and defused in Fayoum early Saturday after combing operations following the first explosion. The two bombs also targeted electric installations.
An IED also exploded in Aswan’s railway station early Saturday. There were no injuries or damage, state media reported.
The device was planted underneath a water cooler on the station’s main platform, reportedly near administrative offices.
Egypt has recently witnessed an increase in urban bombings, beginning with the assassination of Prosecutor General Hisham Barakat last Monday.
In the following days, several explosions and shootings were reported in Cairo and other urban areas.
North Sinai has also witnessed a spike in violence, especially on Wednesday, when militants simultaneously attacked at least five security checkpoints and besieged a police station in Sheikh Zuweid.
The spate of violence coincides with the anniversary of mass protests and subsequent ouster of former president Mohamed Morsi.
Egypt has been grappling with a militant insurgency since early 2011, following the revolution against Mubarak. The violence intensified following Morsi’s ouster.
The violence has mainly been focused in North Sinai, with “State of Sinai” claiming most attacks, which mainly target security forces. The group changed its name from Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis after pledging allegiance to “Islamic State”.
Attacks, however, have increasingly targeted urban centres. This includes two attacks targeting tourist sites, including the shooting of two officers near the Giza pyramids, and a suicide bombing attempt at Al-Karnak temple in Luxor.
