Update: Number injured in Nasr City bombing rises to 22

At least 22 individuals have now been reported injured in the aftermath of the bombing of Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim's convoy this morning, Khaled al-Kateeb — chairperson of the Central Administration for Central Care — told the privately run newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm (AMAY) late Thursday afternoon.

Ambulance Authority head Mohamed al-Ansary said that at least 10 people were taken to the Medical Insurance Hospital in Nasr City, and at least 11 others were transported to the Police Hospital, AMAY reported.

Injuries included burns and broken bones, and some individuals received amputations, AMAY said. Several individuals were reported to be in serious condition.

A security source said that the police discovered human remains they believe may have belonged to the assailant, and are currently attempting to ascertain the victim’s identity, said state-run news source Ahram Gate.

The bomb was planted on the corner of Mostafa al-Nahas Street, which is the only exit for the minister’s convoy, according to a security source cited by Ahram Gate. The bomb was reported to have been placed in a plastic sack next to a pile of garbage and contained around 50 kilos of the highly explosive TNT or another chemical material, the source continued.

The hard line Islamist group Jama’a al-Islamiya has denied any connection with the assassination attempt, state-run news site Egynews reported Thursday afternoon.

The group issued a joint statement with its political arm, the Construction and Development Party, denouncing the incident. The statement said that the situation in Egypt is deteriorating and those behind the attack were attempting to sabotage reconciliation attempts.

The group stressed its disavowal of all acts of violence or terrorism, and called for an immediate investigation into the incident that would be communicated to the public.

At least four police officers were injured in the attack, one of whom is in serious condition. At least six low-ranking officers and nine civilians were also injured, including a British woman, a high-ranking Interior Minister official told Egynews, adding that four police cars were also damaged in the attack. The injured civilians included two women and a child who were in the street at the time of the bombing, reported AMAY, citing medical sources from surrounding hospitals.

The minister was not harmed in the incident. The explosive had targeted Ibrahim's convoy in Nasr City as he headed to his downtown Cairo office, the state-run Middle East News Agency (MENA) reported.

No deaths were reported, according to a statement issued by the Interior Ministry.

Four of the injured officers were in a police car ahead of the minister’s vehicle, according to Egynews. Police forces are currently combing the area for the assailants, and explosives experts are monitoring the frequency of the explosion to determine the type of bomb, the website added.

Following the explosion, members of the convoy exchanged fire with the attackers, said the state-run daily newspaper Al-Ahram.

Ibrahim was immediately transferred back to his house in an armored vehicle, security sources told AMAY.

Eyewitnesses said that a number of shops' facades were destroyed by the explosion. Security forces blocked the main road around the incident. 

Ibrahim appeared on state television shortly after the attack to calm the people, and alleged that the explosive device was probably detonated remotely, a claim that was also made in the Interior Ministry's statement. In the statement, Ibrahim also specified that a child and a low-ranking police officer lost a limb in the attack, Egynews reported.

Public Prosecutor Hesham Barakat ordered the State Security Prosecution to pursue immediate investigations into the assassination attempt. The State Security Prosecution is separate from the regular prosecution judiciary, and is considered an exceptional measure for national security cases.

Ibrahim survived a cabinet shuffle following former President Mohamed Morsi's ouster by the military on July 3. The deposed president's affiliation to the Muslim Brotherhood has led the Islamist group to protest his removal from office, igniting a deadly wave of violence over the last month. Recently, security forces arrested a number of Muslim Brotherhood leaders on charges of inciting violence. 

During Morsi's last weeks in power, frictions between the presidency and the security apparatus intensified when security forces refused to intervene to crack down on anti-regime protests.