Egypt police arrest man with homemade bomb near US embassy
CAIRO (AP) – Police on Tuesday arrested a man carrying a crude explosive device near the heavily fortified U.S. Embassy in Cairo, Egypt’s capital, according to security officials.
They said the man, whom they did not identify, was intercepted outside the concrete blast barriers that encircle the U.S. and nearby British embassies in the leafy district of Garden City.
The U.S. Embassy said in a tweet that it was “aware of a reported incident” near the embassy and advised American citizens to avoid the area.
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• We are aware of a reported incident on Simon Bolivar Street in Cairo. Please avoid the area and monitor local media for updates. We are aware of reports that public transportation near the area has been disrupted due to the incident. Please exercise caution.— US Embassy Cairo (@USEmbassyCairo) September 4, 2018
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•U.S. Citizens should/not come to the Embassy at this time. Please email ConsularCairoACS@state.gov with any questions.
•U.S. Citizens: Sign up for Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) for security updates at https://t.co/UMoke72V75.— US Embassy Cairo (@USEmbassyCairo) September 4, 2018
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•Get SMS from the Embassy by sending your phone # to CairoConsSMS@gmail.com.— US Embassy Cairo (@USEmbassyCairo) September 4, 2018
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
The area around the embassy has for decades been heavily policed, with concrete barriers blocking vehicular traffic in its immediate vicinity. The British Embassy is located across the road from the U.S. embassy building.
