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Cairo explosion kills 20 people

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A large explosion on Sunday evening in front of a hospital in Cairo killed 20 people and left 48 injured.

The incident was originally reported to be a car crash but Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi yesterday described it as a: “Cowardly terrorist incident”.

Egyptian security officials said one of the vehicles was packed with explosives and intended for use in a future terrorist attack elsewhere. The vehicle with the explosives was driving against traffic, when it crashed into three cars in front of the National Cancer Institute. The explosion destroyed the hospital’s facade and shattered its windows.

The Egyptian Heath Ministry said 42 ambulances were dispatched to the site to attend to the wounded, who had sustained burns and cuts, and about 45 patients were evacuated to other hospitals.

President Sisi said: “I would like to express my sincere condolences to the Egyptian people and to the families of the martyrs who were killed as a result of the cowardly terrorist incident in the vicinity of the Al-Qasr Al-Ain area last night. I also wish the speedy recovery of the injured. I affirm that the Egyptian state is determined to confront the brutal terrorism and uprooting it from its roots.”

The Egyptian Interior Minister said the vehicle packed with explosives was linked to Hasm, a group made up of breakaway members of the Muslim Brotherhood. According to the New York Times: “Hasm, which the government considers a violent arm of the Brotherhood, has carried out attacks in Cairo, but mainly against security forces, not civilians. Hasm and another group formed by disaffected Brotherhood members, Liwa al-Thawra, have been designated as terrorist organisations by the United States government.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement saying: “We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the innocent victims and wish a speedy recovery to the injured. We stand by the Egyptian people in their battle against terrorism.”