Update: Following RPG attack in Maadi, airport on high alert

Following Monday morning’s rocket propelled grenade attack on a Maadi satellite station, security forces at Cairo International Airport declared a state of emergency, implementing heightened security measures in the departure and arrival halls.

State-owned Al-Ahram newspaper reported that security checkpoints have been established on the roads leading to and from the airport.

Inside the airport, soldiers and police forces are using trained dogs to search for explosive devices or any illegal substances, Al-Ahram said.

Other state facilities are also under tight security measures, including the Cargo Village, the air traffic control tower and the Ministry of Civil Aviation. 

Egypt awoke to a string of deadly attacks this morning, following bloody clashes nationwide yesterday when Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated protesters battled with security forces and civilians amidst celebrations commemorating the 1973 October 6 War.

The Health Ministry reported that at least 53 were killed in the course of Sunday’s violence.

In the nation’s capital, the typically quiet suburb of Maadi witnessed two rocket propelled grenades launched at the main satellite station there on Monday morning. The grenades reportedly failed to hit the satellite dishes, which were broadcasting the Egyptian NileSat channel, but damaged the international communications satellite dish. No casualties were reported.

The independent Youm7 news site reported that Armed Forces arrived to the scene of the explosion and began combing the area for other explosive devices. 

Also early Monday morning, a wave of violence swept through the Sharqiya and Sinai governorates.

Six army personnel, including an officer and five conscripts, were killed today when three assailants armed with machine guns attacked their vehicle as they were en route to their army base in Ismailia. The victims were all aged between 19 and 21 years old.

The state-run news site Egynews reported that the assailants shot the army personnel dead inside their vehicle, and also injured 21 others in the course of the assault, four of whom are now in critical condition. Security forces are currently searching for the attackers.

State television reported on Monday morning that a car bomb targeting the South Sinai Security Directorate headquarters killed at least two and injured 50 more on Monday morning. The bomb detonated during a meeting of security directorate heads, the privately owned newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm reported. Causalities included a civilian and a policeman.