The militant group Ajnad Misr announced their responsibility for the attack on security forces surrounding Helwan University. A homemade bomb had exploded amid security forces on Thursday, leaving no injuries. The group announced the attack as part of their campaign, "Retribution is Life", in a Thursday statement, and condemned the presence of "criminal" security forces around the university. "The heroes successfully penetrated [the security forces'] rows, despite their stringent precautions, their constant shifts in places, their daily searches, and all other guarding measures," the statement read. According to the views of some student activists, the frequent reports of homemade bombs going off in the midst of security forces' presence are a regime strategy to legitimise their presence among students. Security forces have been present outside a number of universities in anticipation of demonstrations since the beginning of the academic school year. Ajnad Misr has previously claimed responsibility for operations near police stations, universities, the metro, and other Cairo bombings.