A sound bomb went off Friday outside of the Egyptian Media Production City (EMPC) in 6th of October City. Another bomb explosion occurred in front of a church in Assiut during the early hours of Saturday, damaging three cars and the fronts of two houses, according to state-run newspaper Al-Ahram. No casualties were reported. Explosions targeted the two main electricity pylons providing power to the EMPC in mid-April, severely damaging both pylons and temporarily cutting the power of several TV channels. The Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy noted at the time that it would take 7-10 days to repair both towers, with the cost ranging between EGP 600,000 to EGP 800,000. Bomb explosions have been a frequent occurrence in Egypt since the ouster of former president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013. The explosions mainly target security personnel and facilities. North Sinai is witnessing the highest frequency of these attacks. In separate attacks since the beginning of June, militants in the area have bombed the houses of police officers residing there. The governorates of Fayoum, Gharbeya, Aswan, Mahalla and Sharqeya also witness attacks on electricity pylons, drive-by shootings and bomb explosions. Several militant groups are currently operating in Egypt, notably Ajnad Misr and "State of Sinai". In order to counter the insurgency across the country, Egypt's judiciary is currently trying a number of "terrorist cells", including the Al-Zawahiri terrorist cell, the "missiles cell", Ansar Al-Shari'a Brigades and members of Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis, now known as "State of Sinai". The "missiles cell" trial was postponed Saturday to 7 September. The Giza court is trying 36 defendants, 14 of which are at large. In all cases of "terrorist" cells, the alleged defendants are accused of charges that include managing an unlawful group, preventing state institutions from exercising their work, the illegal possession of weapons, and the attempted murder of security officers.
