“Islamic State” (IS) claimed responsibility for the explosion that took place on Thursday in the Haram area of Giza, in an unverified statement that circulated online on Friday night.
The explosion left at least nine people dead and 15 injured, causing a residential building to collapse in Al-Lebiny neighbourhood in Haram. It also resulted in cracks on the facades of two neighbouring buildings, and damaged three cars.
Three policemen died, while those injured included a policeman and citizens, according to a Ministry of Interior statement Thursday. The injured persons were taken to three nearby hospitals.
The ministry claimed specialised Muslim Brotherhood committees used an apartment in the collapsed building to create explosives and devices to “destroy the country’s vital facilities” in the upcoming period.
IS claimed it planted the explosive devices in anticipation of a police raid, causing the deaths of policemen, including a senior investigations official.
The ministry’s statement however said the raid targeted the building specifically after learning that there were explosive devices created there by specialised committees of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group.
IS is the first militant group to utilise social media to propagate its work and for other purposes, political and security analyst Alessandro Di Maio previously told Daily News Egypt.
“The difference between the first Al-Qaeda amateur videos and IS videos is evident and tips in favour of the latter. These dramatic and violent well-constructed videos have a much stronger effect on the minds of new possible recruits,” he said.
The main aim of using social media is to recruit fighters, spread fear, or send messages to governments. According to a report released by the Egyptian Ministry of Religious Endowments, 80% of IS fighters were recruited through social media.
