Senior Egyptian official escapes assassination attempt

A car bomb exploded this evening in the Egyptian capital Cairo, local media reported, in an apparent assassination attempt against the country’s assistant attorney general.

Media organisations including the government owned Akhbar Al-Youm said a private car, which was laden with explosives, detonated as the convoy of the Assistant Attorney General, Zakaria Abdul Aziz, passed by.

Abdul Aziz was not injured in the blast.

Civil enforcement officials rushed to the scene of the bombing and combed the area looking for further explosive devices.

On Facebook, the Egyptian Interior Ministry wrote that “a car which was parked on the side of the road exploded… The incident did not result in any injuries to the Assistant Attorney General or his security; however a civilian who works as a patrolman in the area was injured and was taken to hospital for treatment.”