Inshas bombing referred to military prosecution

Investigations into the bombing of the military intelligence building in Inshas has been referred to the military prosecution, the official Middle East News Agency (MENA) reported Tuesday.

Ahmed Daabas, attorney general of Sharqiya Governorate, said that his Tuesday decision came in accordance with the Military Judiciary Law, stipulating that only military judiciary is allowed to investigate crimes targeting military buildings, regardless of whether those involved are connected to the military or are civilians.

Four soldiers were reported injured Sunday after a car bomb went off in front of a military intelligence building in the town of Inshas, north of Cairo, in the Sharqiya Governorate.

Referring civilians to military courts has been an issue of contention since the January 25 revolution. As many as 12,000 civilians have been referred to military trials since the 2011 ouster of former President Hosni Mubarak.

The new draft constitution, to go to a referendum on January 14 and 15, approves the referral of civilians to military courts in certain cases, including direct attacks on Armed Forces premises, its camps, properties and factories, attacks on military zones and border areas, and attacks on military vehicles or personnel while they are performing their duties. Other cases that can be referred to military trials are listed in the article, including crimes related to military documents, secrets or funds.

Sharqiya police have arrested 10 more suspects allegedly involved in the bombing, bringing the number of those arrested to 25.

Armed Forces spokesperson Ahmed Mohamed Ali said on Sunday that the bomb, in a addition to injuring four soldiers, damaged a fence and a building. A bomb squad carried out a search of the area and the inside of the building following the explosion, according to the online portal of state-owned Al-Ahram newspaper.

The last week of December has seen a marked escalation in terrorist attacks aimed at the police and public transport. On Tuesday, a car bomb exploded in from of a security building in Mansoura, killing 16 people.

Two days later, on Thursday, a homemade bomb exploded near a bus in Nasr City, injuring five people. A second unexploded bomb was later found nearby and defused.