Bombs go off at Muslim festival in Egypt, wound 11

Rasa - Two bombs went off in a city in northern Egypt late Thursday, striking a Muslim religious festival and wounding 11 people, officials said.

News ID: 1422

Date: 18 October 2014 - 23:56

RNA - Two bombs went off in a city in northern Egypt late Thursday, striking a Muslim religious festival and wounding 11 people, officials said, the latest in a spate of attacks that have targeted Egyptian government forces, institutions and public gatherings.

The bombs were placed behind a mosque and went off near-simultaneously in the Nile Delta city of Tanta were residents and pilgrims crowded the streets, observing the Festival of Sheikh el-Sayyed Ahmed el-Baddawi, a revered 13th century religious figure. The festival draws massive crowds every year.

Most of the victims were wounded by flying shrapnel, said Magdy Awad, chairman of the local ambulance services. The victims were taken to the Tanta University Hospital and none were reported to be in critical condition.

The number of casualties could have been higher but a bomb squad was able to dismantle a third explosive device, which had also been placed near the mosque, an Egyptian security official told The Associated Press. He official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to media.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

Most of the recent attacks were carried out by al-Qaida-inspired groups, such as Ansar Beit al-Maqdis or Champions of Jerusalem. The group is based in the northern region of the Sinai Peninsula where the Egyptian army has been waging an offensive against militants for the past year.

On Tuesday night, a home-made bomb went off on a busy street in downtown Cairo, wounding 12 people. Authorities said that blast was caused by a bomb placed in the vicinity of a court house.

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