At least 1 killed by blast at Italian Consulate in Cairo

CAIRO: A powerful blast hit the Italian consulate in the Egyptian capital on Saturday, partly destroying the facade of the building in central Cairo leaving one dead, an AFP correspondent at the scene reported.

Security officials have said under the condition of anonymity may have been a auto blast but this is yet to be confirmed.

In Sinai, jihadists loyal to the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria launched a wave of attacks on July 1 that killed at least 21 soldiers.

The state-owned Middle East News Agency quoted a security official as saying investigators are looking into whether an explosive device was placed under a auto parked near the building. MENA separately said two policemen were among the wounded.

None of the victims were consulate staffers, Italy’s Foreign Affairs Minister Paolo Gentiloni said in a tweet.

The identity of the person killed was not immediately clear. Four people were also injured, medical sources said. The Brotherhood says it is a peaceful movement.

Egypt has seen escalating attacks by Islamist militants.

At least 600 Egyptian police and armed forces personnel have been killed in the last two years.

Previously, militants mostly targeted Egyptian government officials and security forces. Following an hours-long battle, the army said it killed over 200 terrorists.

Western countries are hoping Sisi can maintain relative stability in the Arab world’s most populous country.