Egypt brands Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist group after blast killed 14

Egyptian Prime Minister Hazem Beblawi has declared the country’s Muslim Brotherhood movement a “terrorist” organisation, state news agency MENA reported, quoting the premier’s spokesman. Beblawi’s remarks came just hours after a car bomb ripped through a police headquarters in the city of Mansoura, north of Cairo, killing at least 14 people, mostly policemen.

Prime Minister Hazem Beblawi’s condemnation of the group comes just weeks ahead of a referendum on a new constitution that is billed as the first major step toward democracy since the ouster of president Mohamed Morsi in July.

“Prime Minister Beblawi has declared the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation,” state news agency MENA quoted the premier’s spokesman Sherif Showky as saying.

An Egyptian court has already banned the activities of the Muslim Brotherhood, to which Morsi belongs, while the interim military-installed authorities have often accused the group of funding and training militants in the restive Sinai Peninsula.

Tuesday’s move to declare the Brotherhood a “terrorist” organisation will likely be seen as a further push by the interim authorities to isolate the movement ahead of the constitutional referendum.

Beblawi’s statement came just hours after a powerful car bomb tore through a police headquarters in the Egyptian city of Mansoura early Tuesday, killing at least 14 people, mostly policemen, said medics and officials.

Egyptian security sources said the explosion in the city, north of Cairo, was massive and a part of the building had caved in.

Medics said the bombing wounded more than 100 people.

The impact of the explosion was felt around 20 kilometres (12 miles) away and shattered windows of nearby buildings, the security sources said.

The head of security for Daqahleya, Sami El-Mihi, was wounded in the blast and two of his aides were killed, security sources said.

Blast near police HQ in Egypt’s Nile Delta kills at least 14

Fourteen people were killed and around 100 were injured in an explosion at a security building in Egypt’s northern province of Dakahlyia on Tuesday, according to security and health ministry sources. He added that police chief of the province General Sami al-Meihi was injured in the blast.

At least 14 people were killed and more than 100 hurt in an explosion at a security building in Egypt’s Nile Delta town of Dakahlyia on Tuesday, state media and a security source said.

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At least 14 killed, over 200 wounded in big blast in Egypt’s Nile Delta

At least 14 people were killed and more than 200 wounded in a massive explosion at a security compound in Egypt’s Nile Delta town of Dakahlyia on Tuesday, a month before a vote on a new constitution key

Cabinet spokesman Sherief Shawki blamed the blast on the Muslim Brotherhood group of former Islamist Ousted Mohamed Mursi, and said Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi had officially declared the group a terrorist organization.

A security source said the blast may have been caused by a car bomb, but it was not clear if it was suicide attack or not.

State TV said at least 14 people were killed and more than 200 hurt. It said the attack was the worst in the city’s history and two senior security officials were among the wounded.

Another security source it was still unclear what caused the explosion, “but it seems to be a big one that led to the collapse of parts of the security building”.

Suicide attacks on soldiers and policemen have sharply risen in Egypt since the army ousted Mursi in July amid mass unrest against his rule.

In overthrowing Mursi, the army set out a political roadmap supposed to start with a mid-January vote on a new constitution and to be followed by presidential and parliamentary votes.

The state-run Middle East News Agency quoted Beblawi as saying that those responsible for blast “will not escape punishment”.

CHAOS, BURNED CARS

Witnesses in Dakahlyia said many cars inside and outside the security compound were burned out and the entire city was in chaos as people were hurrying to hospitals to check on victims.

Egypt’s Nile News TV cut into its late-night programming to urge people to go to hospitals to donate blood to the victims.

Most bomb attacks since Mursi’s overthrow have occurred in the Sinai region, which borders Israel and the Palestinian Gaza Strip. Around 200 soldiers have died in Sinai since July.

Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim survived a suicide car bomb attack targeting his convoy near his home in Cairo last September.

Egyptian media and many army and state officials have blamed all the violence on Mursi & Brotherhood

Mursi’s exit triggered a wave of  attacks on churches and police stations. around 100 policemen killed.

via At least 11 killed, over 100 wounded in big blast in Egypt’s Nile Delta | Reuters.

Related articles

• Five Killed in an Explosion in Egypt’s Nile Delta (nytimes.com)
• Egypt: blast at security building kills at least 8 (telegraph.co.uk)
• At least 12 dead in massive blast at police HQ in Egypt (haaretz.com)

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Breaking News : 13 killed, more than 150 hurt in explosion near security building in egypt’s nile delta

CAIRO Tuesday, Dec 23, 2013 1:30 am

At least 13 people were killed and more than 150 hurt in an explosion at a security building in Egypt’s Nile Delta town of Dakahlyia on Tuesday, state media and a security source said.

“It is still unclear what caused the explosion, but it seems to be a big one that led to the collapse of parts of the security building in Dakahlyia and we are expecting many injuries and potential deaths,” the source said.

Another security source said the blast may have been caused by a car bomb, but it was not yet clear if it was suicide attack or not.

State TV said 13 people were killed and more than 150 hurt. It said two top security officials were among the injured.

Egypt’s Nile News TV cut into its late-night programming to urge people to go to hospitals to donate blood to the victims of the attack, which it described as the worst in the city’s history.

Attacks on soldiers and policemen have sharply risen in Egypt since the Egyptian army ousted Mohamed Mursi in July in the face of mass unrest against his rule.

Most of the attacks have occurred in the Sinai, which borders Israel and the Palestinian Gaza Strip. Around 200 soldiers have died in Sinai alone since Mursi’s ouster.