Egyptian blasts, one near pyramids, kill and wound officers

Two bombs killed six police officers and a civilian on Friday, according to Egyptian state media.

One bomb went off in Giza’s Haram district on the street leading to the pyramids, killing the officers and wounding three others, state-owned Al-Ahram newspaper reported.

A second bomb in Kafr El-Sheikh killed one civilian motorist and wounded three police officers.

That bomb apparently targeted a police vehicle.

There was no immediate credible claim of responsibility for either bombing.

Egypt has seen escalating attacks by Islamist militants, though most attacks have taken place in the Sinai Peninsula.

The revolution that toppled strongman President Hosni Mubarak in 2011 brought a resurgence of Islamists, whom his military regime had repressed for decades. This included relatively moderate factions like the Muslim Brotherhood, which swept into power when Mohamed Morsy became president in Egypt’s first democratic elections.

But it also included extremists, some who have been inspired by al Qaeda. In the Sinai Peninsula, they have called for the establishment of an Islamist caliphate. Militants have killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers since the overthrow of Morsy in July 2013.

Other attacks in that time have targeted tourists. The Egyptian wing of ISIS claimed it downed Russian passenger Metrojet Flight 9268 in October 2015. All 224 people aboard died.

In February 2014, South Korean sightseers on a tour bus were attacked. Four people were killed and 14 were wounded.

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