In a statement released to its Facebook and Twitter accounts, a jihadist group known as Ajnad Misr (Soldiers of Egypt) claimed responsibility for today’s bombings near Cairo University. The attacks, which killed at least one police officer, wounded about half a dozen people.
Ajnad Misr said the bombs targeted “criminals that were known to have committed massacres,” according to a translation by Oren Adaki of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. In its statement, Ajnad Misr said that slain Brigadier General Tarek al Mergawi was targeted for his involvement in the “killing of innocents, trespassing of honors, and participation in the Nahda massacre.”
The group noted that today’s bombings follow an increase in arrests of women. “If only the soldiers of tyranny knew that behind these women are men that will seek retribution, and that they have heroes that will seek revenge for what they dared to do to our women and for their trampling on our honor and for the prisons overflowing with our girls,” the communique warned.
According to press reports, the first two bombs detonated almost simultaneously, and the third went off nearly two hours later. In its statement, Ajnad Misr said its fighters delayed the detonation of the third bomb due to the crowd of civilians in the area. The group further stated that it has canceled operations in the past that it believed would have harmed civilians.
In addition, Ajnad Misr claimed that it has previously carried out attacks in which the amount of explosives used was reduced to prevent harm to civilians. According to the group, this occurred on March 4, March 11, and March 29.
Ajnad Misr, which formally announced itself on Jan. 23, has said it is engaged in a campaign to target “criminal” elements of Egypt’s current regime. Prior to today’s statement, the group had claimed responsibility for seven attacks, all of which took place in the Cairo area.
The group, which was described by the Sinai-based jihadist group Ansar Jerusalem (Ansar Bayt al Maqdis) as “our brothers,” last claimed an attack on Feb. 7, 2014.
