Egypt's Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim survived an assassination attempt when a bomb detonated early onThursday near his convoy in northeast Cairo, officials told Ahram Online.
Earlier reports said the blast resulted from a car bomb, but state TV said that the bomb was thrown by unknown assailants from a nearby building at around 10:30 am.
"Initial investigations showed a big-sized explosive devise targeted [at my] car while it was passing by," the interior minister told state-owned TV two hours after the attack, adding that the bomb seems to have been "remotely detonated."
The minister, who escaped the attack unscathed, said four vehicles among his convoy were "damaged", along with a number of civilian-owned cars.
At least eight, including six security officers and a child, were injured in the attack, according to Egypt' Ambulance Authority. Some shops were also damaged in the blast.
The wounded sustained severe injuries including leg amputations, Ibrahim added in his brief interview.
Explosives experts quickly moved to comb the site and specify the bomb type, the Ministry of Interior said in a statement.
The capital's Nasr City area has been the stronghold of a major protest camp by loyalists of Egypt's toppled Islamist president Mohamed Morsi. The interim government has accused Morsi's followers of "terrorism" and inciting violence.
The minister has sponsered a deadly raid by police to clear Islamist-led protest sites in Cairo and Giza mid-August which left hundreds dead and thousands injured, setting off days of bloody street violence. More than 100 members of security forces were killed in the crackdown and ensuing violence.
