Cairo: At least one person was on Saturday killed and nine others injured when a powerful car bomb exploded outside the Italian consulate in Cairo, the first assault on a foreign mission in Egypt since terrorists launched a campaign against security forces two years ago.
The blast that occurred on Saturday morning caused interior damage to the entrance of the Italian consulate and some facades of surrounding buildings.
Saturday's attack comes less than a fortnight after a deadly coordinated assault by IS terrorists across military checkpoints in North Sinai that killed over 70 people, including soldiers.
Health Ministry spokesperson Hossam Abdel-Ghaffar confirmed the death of one person in the blast caused by a bomb that had been planted in a car parked near the consulate in central Cairo.
The explosion ruptured underground water pipes, flooding the area.
The security forces have cordoned off the area. No group claimed responsibility for the blast. Islamist terrorists have carried out roadside bombs and suicide attacks which have so far targeted members of the
security forces and officials.
Italy's foreign minister Paolo Gentiloni tweeted that his country "will not let itself be intimidated". "Our thoughts are with the people affected and with our personnel," he wrote.
A car bomb killed Egypt's top public prosecutor recently and terrorists affiliated to Islamic State attacked several checkpoints. The army said 17 soldiers and more than 100 terrorists were killed in those clashes.
Egypt's North Sinai has witnessed many violent attacks by terrorists since the January, 2011 revolution that toppled the ex-president Hosni Mubarak.
The attacks targeting police and military increased after the ouster of Islamist ex-president Mohamed Morsi in 2013 by military following massive protests against his rule.
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