Twin Bombings Rock Cairo | WPN World People News

Egyptian authorities said a car bomb that exploded Friday near security headquarters in Cairo has claimed the lives of at least three people and left 35 others wounded. A few hours later, another blast across the Nile River outside a Metro station in the neighborhood of Dokki killed one person and wounded several others.

Ambulances streamed to the central police headquarters in Cairo Friday after the first explosion, which heavily damaged the building.

The early morning blast was heard across the capital. Witnesses reported also hearing gunfire. There have been no immediate claims of responsibility.

Security authorities and analysts have been warning of the potential increase of such violence. Jihadists, many based in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, have escalated their attacks against security and military targets since the ouster last year of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.

The military has also been stepping up its operations against militants, as the attacks have spread beyond the largely lawless Sinai.

Friday's explosions come one day before the third anniversary of the uprising against long-time Egyptian ruler Hosni Mubarak. Opponents of the current military-backed interim government, including secular activists and the now-banned Muslim Brotherhood, had planned to stage peaceful protests Saturday.

Source: Voice of America