Two people were killed when a bomb exploded under a car in the Egyptian city of Alexandria on Saturday in what appeared to be an assassination attempt on the city’s security chief, state media reported.

The blast went off as a motorcade carrying Major General Mostafa al-Nemr, Alexandria’s top security official, was passing by in the Roshdi district.

The explosion killed a policeman and another person and wounded four other police officers, according to the state news agency MENA.

"On Saturday March 24 an explosive device planted underneath a car exploded ... as the Alexandria security chief drove by," the interior ministry statement said.

Pictures shared on social media showed smoke billowing from the burned out remains of a car.</s>Cairo, March 24 (IANS) A car bomb killed two people and injured several others in the centre of the Egyptian port city of Alexandria on Saturday, officials said.

The attack unsuccessfully targeted the city’s security chief while he was travelling in a convoy, the Interior Ministry was cited as saying by Efe news.

Egypt is just two days away from its presidential election, that will be held from Monday to Wednesday, in which President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is competing for a second mandate.

An Interior Ministry statement only confirmed the death of one policeman, adding that three others were injured by an explosive device placed under a vehicle parked near the Alexandria Security Directorate headquarters.

On April 9, 2017 two separate bomb attacks targeted Coptic Christian churches in Alexandria and the city of Tanta in the Nile Delta, killing 44 people and wounding 100 others.

The Islamic State terror organization claimed responsibility for both attacks.</s>A car bomb has rocked the coastal Egyptian city of Alexandria, reportedly killing two people and injuring at least four others. The attack comes just two days before Egypt's presidential election.The blast is said to have occurred near the Tolip Hotel in the city's neighbourhood of Stanley.The driver of the escort car and a policeman were reportedly killed when the device exploded under a parked vehicle next to the Roman Camp road in the city. Four military personnel are said to be in a serious condition in hospital."On Saturday, March 24, an explosive device planted underneath a car exploded ... as the Alexandria security chief drove by," a spokesperson for the interior ministry said in a statement cited by Reuters.A number of civil protection officers, firefighters, police and emergency services have reportedly arrived at the scene and formed a perimeter around blast site.</s>CAIRO, March 24 (Reuters) - A car bomb exploded in Egypt's second city Alexandria on Saturday, killing a policeman and wounding four others, the interior ministry said.

The bombing had targeted Alexandria's security chief, the ministry said in a statement.

Eyewitnesses said police and military personnel had formed a perimeter around the site of the explosion, which took place two days before the country is due to hold a presidential election. (Reporting by Mohamed Abdellah and Haitham Ahmed; Writing by Ahmed Aboulenein, Editing by William Maclean)</s>A car bomb has rocked the coastal Egyptian city of Alexandria, reportedly killing a policeman and injuring at least four others just two days before the country’s presidential election.

The blast is said to have occurred near the Tolip Hotel in the city’s neighbourhood of Stanley. Multiple Egyptian sources, citing eyewitnesses, report that the bomb targeted the convoy of the security director of Alexandria, Major General Mustafa Nimr.

The driver of the escort car was reportedly the man killed when the device exploded under a parked vehicle next to the Roman Camp road in the city.

A number of civil protection officers, firefighters, police and emergency services have reportedly arrived at the scene. Multiple Egyptian sources, citing eyewitnesses, report that the bomb targeted the convoy of the security director of Alexandria, Major General Mustafa Nimr.

A number of civil protection officers, firefighters, police and emergency services have reportedly arrived at the scene and formed a perimeter around blast site.

Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!</s>An unsuccessful car bomb attack on Saturday targeted the security chief of the Egyptian port city of Alexandria, killing at least two people, including a policeman, and injuring several others, security sources told EFE.

Mustafa al-Nemr later confirmed the deaths of a police conscript and a driver while traveling in an escort vehicle, the official Egyptian news agency MENA said, adding that another recruit was injured.</s>Bomb kills two in Alexandria ahead of Egypt presidential vote

A bomb placed under a car exploded in Egypt’s second city Alexandria on Saturday, killing two people including a policeman, two days before the country is due to hold a presidential election, according Reuters.

The bombing, which wounded four other policemen, targeted Alexandria’s security chief, police Major General Mostafa al-Nemr, the interior ministry said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bombing. Islamic State released a video last month in which it warned Egyptians against taking part in the upcoming vote and urged Islamists to attack security forces and leaders.

State news agency MENA quoted Nemr as saying that two people, a policeman and a driver, were killed in the blast.</s>CAIRO—A powerful explosion rocked the Egyptian city of Alexandria early Saturday, killing a policeman and wounding four others in an attack targeting a senior security official just days ahead of the country’s presidential election.

A bomb placed under a parked car exploded when Alexandria’s security chief was passing in a convoy and survived the attack, the Interior Ministry said.</s>A bomb placed under a car exploded in Egypt's second city Alexandria on Saturday, killing two people including a policeman, state news agency MENA

 reported.

 

 The bombing, which also wounded four policemen, had targeted Alexandria's security chief police Major General Mostafa al-Nemr, the interior ministry said.

 MENA quoted Nemr as saying that two people, a policeman and a driver, were killed in the blast.

 

 Photos on social media that Reuters could not independently verify showed a burnt out car and smoke at the site of the blast.

 

 "On Saturday March 24 an explosive device planted underneath a car exploded ... as the Alexandria security chief drove by," the interior ministry statement said.

 

 Eyewitnesses said police and military personnel had formed a perimeter around the site of the explosion, which took place two days before the country is due to hold a presidential election.</s>Bomb kills two in Alexandria ahead of Egypt presidential vote

An Egyptian forensics team checks the location of a bombing in Alexandria, Egypt March 24, 2018. — Reuters picCAIRO, March 24 — A bomb placed under a car exploded in Egypt’s second city Alexandria today, killing two people including a policeman, two days before the country is due to hold a presidential election.

The bombing, which wounded four other policemen, targeted Alexandria’s security chief, police Major General Mostafa al-Nemr, the interior ministry said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bombing. Islamic State released a video last month in which it warned Egyptians against taking part in the upcoming vote and urged Islamists to attack security forces and leaders.

State news agency MENA quoted Nemr as saying that two people, a policeman and a driver, were killed in the blast.

Photos on social media that Reuters could not independently verify showed a burnt out car and smoke at the site of the blast.

“On Saturday March 24 an explosive device planted underneath a car exploded ... as the Alexandria security chief drove by,” the interior ministry said in a statement.

Eyewitnesses said police and military personnel formed a cordon around the site of the explosion. Local television stations later showed Nemr unharmed and inspecting the area.

Islamic State attempted to assassinate Egypt’s defence and interior ministers in December during a trip the pair made to the Sinai Peninsula, where the hardline militant group has been waging an insurgency for almost five years.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Friday that Islamic State militants would soon be defeated in the Sinai as he visited troops battling the jihadists there.

Polls will open on Monday when voters choose between Sisi and one little-known candidate who supports the former field marshal. All credible opponents dropped out in January, citing intimidation by the authorities after the main challenger was jailed.

Sisi’s critics say he has cracked down harshly on dissent and that tough economic reforms have eroded his popularity. Supporters say such measures are needed to stabilise Egypt, which was rocked by years of unrest after protests toppled veteran leader Hosni Mubarak in 2011.

As military commander, Sisi led the ousting of Egypt’s only competitively-elected leader, President Mohamed Mursi, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, who was toppled amid demonstrations against his rule in 2013, a year after taking power. Sisi took office with a landslide election victory a year later.

State news agency MENA blamed the Brotherhood, which is now banned in Egypt and designated a terrorist group, for Saturday’s bombing.

“This attempt comes in the context of terrorist Muslim Brotherhood elements trying to disrupt the electoral process and influence citizens into not going to the polls and participating in the presidential election,” the agency said.

Islamic State and other militant groups have successfully assassinated officials in recent years. Islamic State bombed a hotel in Sinai in 2015 during a parliamentary election, killing seven people including two judges overseeing the vote.

Egypt’s top public prosecutor, Hisham Barakat, was killed by a car bomb in June 2015. — Reuters
A bomb planted beneath a car explodes in Alexandria, Egypt, as a motorcade carrying the city's head of security passes by, killing at least two people.