Egypt kills six accused of Alexandria bombing

The bomb planted under a car detonated as the Alexandria chief of police drove by

Egyptians gather around a burning vehicle at the site of a bomb attack in the northern port city of Alexandria, which hit a convoy of the city's security chief. AFP

The Egyptian authorities foiled an assassination attempt on the Alexandria chief of police on Sunday by terrorists believed to be affiliated to the Muslim Brotherhood. The attack came two days before the country holds presidential elections.

Authorities said the bomb was planted under a car and was detonated as police Major General Mostafa Al Nemr drove by. The ministry of interior reported he left unscathed.

Six members of the group accused of the bombing in Egypt’s second city and two policemen were killed in a shoot-out with the terrorists. Four others were injured.

"The interior ministry has dealt an effective blow to the armed wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, the Hasam movement, on the dawn of March 25. The ministry uncovered a terrorist den … and exchanged fire with its elements," it said in a statement.

The militant Hasam Movement emerged in 2016 and has claimed several attacks on security forces and judges, including the fatal shooting of a policeman. Egyptian authorities say the group is the Brotherhood's armed wing, but the Brotherhood says it rejects violence.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, which the state news agency blamed on the banned Muslim Brotherhood organisation. Islamic State released a video last month in which it warned Egyptians against voting and urged extremists to attack security forces and leaders.

Overnight, security forces were able to identify three of the six terrorists as part of the “armed movement of the Muslim Brotherhood.”

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They also found a “terrorist den” belonging to the group containing ammunition and explosives.

The militant Hasam Movement emerged in 2016 and has claimed several attacks on security forces and judges, including the fatal shooting of a policeman. Egyptian authorities say the group is the Brotherhood's armed wing, but the Brotherhood says it rejects violence.

Egypt on Monday begins three days of voting in a presidential election which President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi is widely expected to win.