Two explosions in the eastern Cairo district of Nasr City targeted electricity switches early on Tuesday, leaving no injuries or fatalities. Improvised explosive devices (IED) were planted near the switches in Youssef Abbas Street, state-run newspaper Al-Ahram reported. Security forces moved to the site of the incident, and put in place a security cordon around the explosion area. Explosions targeting public service facilities, especially electricity services, have become a common feature of militant group activity in Egypt, alongside their targeting of military and security forces in North Sinai. In June, Minister of Electricity Mohamed Shaker said the electricity sector has lost EGP 150m in total, due to the recent targeting of the power infrastructure in Egypt. Shaker added that EGP 100m has been lost due to the targeting of electricity towers, while another EGP 50m has been lost from electricity kiosks and switches. He added that all power grids are being secured by the police and the armed forces. Bombings have become a frequent occurrence across Egypt since the ouster of former president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013. However, the explosions have recently begun to target power stations, the most recent attack being three bombs that targeted an electricity tower in Aswan, causing a major power outage for several days.
