Wave of bombings in Cairo kills 1, injures at least 7

At least one person was killed and seven others injured on Thursday when six bombs reportedly erupted across Cairo and Giza.

An explosion in front of a pizzeria located next to a Vodafone store in Giza’s low-income Imbaba neighborhood killed one restaurant employee and injured two co-workers, according to an Interior Ministry statement. The deceased reportedly lost his leg in the explosion, and was pronounced dead after arriving at the hospital.

Two cars and a motorcycle parked in front of the restaurant also sustained damages in the incident, the statement said.

Three other explosions occurred simultaneously earlier on Thursday morning. The first explosive device detonated in front of a Vodafone store on Gamat al-Dawal Street in Mohandiseen, while two other homemade bombs exploded outside Etisalat stores on Sudan Street and Ahmed Oraby Street in the upscale Giza neighborhood.

Two people were injured in the bombings, according to the Health Ministry. The stores also sustained minor damages to their facades, the Interior Ministry statement said.

Also on Thursday, three policemen were wounded in an explosion in front of the Warraq police station, the Health Ministry reported. The injuries were reportedly minor. A bomb squad was deployed to search the area for other explosive devices.

Another bomb also exploded near the Awseem police station in Giza, injuring one person. No casualties were reported.

Earlier on Thursday, a “fake bomb” was reportedly found in front of the main gate of the Qubba Presidential Palace in Cairo's Saray al-Qubba district. The privately owned newspaper Youm7 reported that a bomb squad found three other explosive devices in the area, while the privately owned ONA news network alleged that only two other bombs were found. In yet another report, the privately owned newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm reported that one other bomb was diffused after the initial explosion.

Explosions in public spaces such as metro and train stations, shopping malls and food outlets have become increasingly common in recent months, representing a shift from attacks directed solely at police and military facilities. The devices used in such attacks have largely been primitively made or fake, with many only resulting in a loud blast.