Update: Blasts in Ain Shams and Suez, police prevent bomb attack in Matrouh

A homemade bomb went off early Saturday in the Ain Shams neighborhood of Cairo, causing limited damage and no injuries, according to state news agency MENA, at the start of the third anniversary of the January 25 uprising.

Security forces said the small bomb blasted a hole through the wall of the police institute in Ain Shams and broke the glass of three cars, as well as one of the nearby shops.

This comes a day after four explosions rocked the capital on Friday, leaving at least six people dead, on the anniversary of the day that witnessed mass protests which led to the ouster of former President Hosni Mubarak, and marked the beginning of a turbulent period of political instability.

The first blast on Friday targeted the Cairo Security Directorate at 6.30 am in the downtown area of Abdeen, leaving at least four dead, while a second explosion occurred in front of the Behooth metro station in the Giza neighborhood of Dokki, killing at least one person. Later in the day, another bombing took place in front of the Talbeya police station in Giza, with no reported casualties, before a final explosion went off outside the Radoubis Cinema in the Haram area of Giza, claiming at least one life.

Tens of Ain Shams residents gathered around the blast site on Saturday, “condemning the terrorist acts, chanting for the armed forces and police while chanting against the Muslim Brotherhood,” MENA reported.

Security forces began combing the area in the aftermath of the small blast.

Al-Ahram also reported that a bomb went off close to a Central Security camp in Suez. The blast took place amid an ongoing live fire battle between security forces and civilians in the area. 

The Ministry of Health stated that a total of nine people had been injured, without indicating how many were a result of the blast and how many were due to the exchange of gunfire.

Meanwhile, MENA reported that police forces prevented an attempt to blow up the Matrouh Court complex. Security forces allegedly located a bag near the complex building that contained 20 Molotov cocktails.

The Interior Ministry denied news that a bomb was diffused in Tahrir early on Saturday and that the square was emptied of citizens, as a number of online news portals had reported.

In a statement, the ministry said it is "doing its part to protect citizens and secure the festivities of the January revolution."