The Hasm Movement has claimed responsibility for the Sunday attack in Cairo, which killed two police officers and injured three conscripts. The unidentified assailants shot the gas tank of a central security force personnel carrier from a Jeep near the Cairo suburb of Maadi early Sunday.
Hasm said in a statement that it had planted an explosive device in the Ring Road near the Cairo suburb of Maadi, detonating when the security vehicle was in proximity to it, leaving the bombers unharmed. The movement expressed intent to launch more attacks.
According to the statement issued by the Ministry of Interior, after initial examinations, the timeline shows that the terrorists shot the security vehicle after the forces had their suhoor meal. “At around 12.45am on Sunday, a vehicle of the central security forces transporting a group of officers and conscripts on the Autostrade Road was attacked by an explosive device planted on the side of the road,” the ministry said in its statement.
Hours after the attack, a statement by the ministry said that “the incident led to the martyrdom of first lieutenant Ali Abd Al-Khaliq and to the injury of an officer and three conscripts.” The four injured police officers have been taken to hospital for treatment, the statement added. Later on Sunday, another police officer died after sustaining injuries.
The Hasm Movement has claimed responsibility for several recent attacks in statements circulated online. The movement has appeared in early 2016. In August, the group said it was behind the failed assassination attempt of former Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa. October of the same year, militants driving a black private vehicle opened fire on army leader, Adel Ragaai, assassinating him in front of his residence in Al-Obour City.
Egypt is currently battling several armed groups concentrated mainly in the Sinai Peninsula, since the ouster of former president Mohamed Morsi in 2013.
Shootings that target police, army officers, and state officials have become a weekly occurrence in Egypt since July 2013.
