Daesh claims car bomb attack at Italian consulate in Cairo

One person was killed and two other injured in the blast, Daesh asks Muslims to 'stay clear of these security dens'.

Cairo - Daesh claimed responsibility for a car bomb attack at the Italian consulate in Cairo on Saturday, in an escalation of a Sinai-based insurgency that suggests militants are opening a new front against foreigners in Egypt.
Earlier, Heath Ministry official Hossam Abdel Ghaffar said that at least one person was killed in the blast.
An Egyptian security official said one civilian and one policeman were also injured. An Italian embassy official said the consulate was closed at the time of the explosion and no staff members were injured.
The blast ruptured underground water pipes, flooding the area. The explosion struck one of the busiest intersections in Cairo, a major artery that connects Ramsis Square to the heart of downtown Cairo.
"Through God's blessing, Daesh soldiers were able to detonate a parked car bomb carrying 450kg of explosive material on the headquarters of the Italian consulate in central Cairo," the Daesh group said on its Twitter account.
"We recommend that Muslims stay clear of these security dens because they are legitimate targets for strikes."

• MENA