Islamic State militants claimed responsibility for the massive bomb explosion that rocked the Shubra district in Cairo, ripping into a national security building early Thursday morning. The recent tally of injured individuals has spiked to 29 from the 11 victims reported by HNGN earlier. These include 11 police and army personnel, according to ABC News.
ISIS announced its involvement in the explosion in a public broadcast over the Al-Bayan radio station where it claimed that the "soldiers of the caliphate" had carried out the attack. In addition, a statement was also released by the militants' affiliate in in Egypt and was circulated by supporters online, which declared that the bombing was carried out to avenge the execution of six convicted militants in May, Fox News reported.
Hours after the blast, the area has already been cordoned off while policemen are on hand to prevent onlookers - even those showing press credentials - from approaching. The remnants of the explosion, however, could still be seen, including shattered glass and debris from the smashed structure. Puddles of water from broken pipes and damaged vehicles can also be seen on the streets. There are also gaping holes from the security building's wall, which bore the brunt of the explosion.
The bomb was detonated around 2 a.m., and all of Cairo felt the impact.
"We were here painting the office, and then it went off," recounted Gawad Mahmoud, a surgeon who lives nearby, according to Fox News. "It was like an earthquake, it blew the doors off and smashed all the windows in. The explosion sounded professional, it wasn't small-time. We are not living in a normal state here."
Egypt has seen an increase in bomb attacks after President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi came to power. To address the problem, the state legislature has passed several anti-terrorism laws in the past few months. Last weekend, el-Sissi himself declared a new law that defines who gets to be punished for terrorism, including fines for journalists who will contradict Defense Ministry statements.
