At Least 2 Dead in Blast in Egyptian City of Aswan

CAIRO – At least two people died and five others were wounded when a bomb exploded in front of a police station in the southern Egyptian city of Aswan, the country’s official Mena news agency reported.

According to the preliminary investigation, the bomb was planted inside an electrical transformer in front of the police station.

Among the injured is a police recruit, Mena said, adding that at present law enforcement authorities are trying to find those responsible for the blast.

The attack comes five days after Egyptian President Abdelfatah al-Sisi implemented a law to combat and prohibit terrorist groups, including anything that disrupts the public order and social peace, legislation that had been approved by the government last November.

In December 2013, Egyptian authorities declared the Muslim Brotherhood to be a terrorist group, six months after the military deposed President Mohammed Mursi, the head of that organization.

Since the coup, terrorist attacks on the security forces have increased, staged mainly by the jihadist groups Agnad Masr and Wilayat Sina, the latter formerly known as Ansar Beit al Maqdis, which swore loyalty to the Islamic State.

However, this kind of attack has not been a frequent occurrence in the tourist towns of Egypt, such as Aswan.