Cairo:
Egyptian Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim said he survived an assassination attempt today when a bomb targeted his convoy near his house on a Cairo street.
Security officials said a car bomb struck the minister's convoy around 10:30 am (1400 IST) near his home in the Nasr City area, in the first such attack in Cairo in years.
An interior ministry statement said Ibrahim's convoy was targeted by a "bomb," without providing further details.
Ibrahim emerged on state television shortly after the attack to condemn the "cowardly assassination attempt".
He said his convoy was targeted by "a bomb that exploded at a distance" wounding "many guards".
An official in the health ministry said seven people were wounded in the blast, while an interior ministry official said four policemen were injured, including a policeman who lost his leg in the explosion.
State news agency MENA said police immediately closed all access roads to the interior ministry located in central Cairo.
An AFP correspondent said several cars were damaged in the explosion, while police closed access to the site.
State television broadcast footage showing massive damage to the front of a building at the site of the explosion.
The bombing comes amid a police and military crackdown since last month on supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.
Hundreds of people were killed in Cairo's Rabaa al-Adawiya and Nahda squares on August 14 when police stormed protest camps set up by Morsi's supporters.
Morsi was ousted by the military on July 3 following popular street protests against his one-year rule.
Security officials said a car bomb struck the minister's convoy around 10:30 am (1400 IST) near his home in the Nasr City area, in the first such attack in Cairo in years.
An interior ministry statement said Ibrahim's convoy was targeted by a "bomb," without providing further details.
Ibrahim emerged on state television shortly after the attack to condemn the "cowardly assassination attempt".
He said his convoy was targeted by "a bomb that exploded at a distance" wounding "many guards".
An official in the health ministry said seven people were wounded in the blast, while an interior ministry official said four policemen were injured, including a policeman who lost his leg in the explosion.
State news agency MENA said police immediately closed all access roads to the interior ministry located in central Cairo.
An AFP correspondent said several cars were damaged in the explosion, while police closed access to the site.
State television broadcast footage showing massive damage to the front of a building at the site of the explosion.
The bombing comes amid a police and military crackdown since last month on supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.
Hundreds of people were killed in Cairo's Rabaa al-Adawiya and Nahda squares on August 14 when police stormed protest camps set up by Morsi's supporters.
Morsi was ousted by the military on July 3 following popular street protests against his one-year rule.
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