Egyptian survives bomb attack

Egypt’s interior minister escaped an assassination attempt yesterday when a suspected car bomb struck his convoy in a Cairo neighborhood, in the first attack on a senior government official since the country’s Islamist president was toppled in a coup two months ago.

The assassination attempt against Mohammed Ibrahim, who is in charge of the police force, fueled concerns over a possible wave of violence in retaliation for the July 3 ouster of Mohammed Morsi and the ensuing crackdown on Islamists.

The blast wounded at least 22 police and civilian bystanders and heavily damaged three vehicles in Ibrahim’s convoy — though he survived unhurt. Security officials said initial investigations showed it came from a parked car loaded with explosives in the trunk.

The attack echoed the sort of insurgency-style methods Islamic militants have increasingly used in Egypt’s tumultuous Sinai Peninsula. Last month, militants there attempted a suicide car bombing but were killed by police before carrying it out.

Some of Morsi’s more hard-line supporters have publicly threatened to wage assassinations and car bombings against officials of the military-backed government until the former president is reinstated.

There was no claim of responsibility for yesterday’s blast.