Policeman killed in drive-by shooting at Niger Embassy in Cairo

Ahram Online , Wednesday 29 Jul 2015

Two policemen and a civilian were also injured

police
Egyptian police special forces stand guard beside an armored vehicle in Giza, Egypt, Wednesday, July 3, 2013 (Photo: AP)

A policeman was killed and three others were injured when unidentified assailants opened fire at security forces outside the Embassy of Niger in Cairo, the interior ministry announced early Wednesday.

The ministry said in a statement that a police conscript died while two other low-ranking policemen and an Egyptian civilian working at the embassy were injured when assailants in a private vehicle drove by and shot at them at around 1am in the morning.

The injured were transferred to hospital and police are conducting investigations, the statement added.

This is the second attack at a foreign mission in Egypt after a blast hit the Italian Consulate in downtown Cairo on 11 July killing one civilian and injuring 10 others.  

Islamist militants have been targeting police and army personnel in Egypt since they began a campaign against the government following Islamist president Mohamed Morsi's ouster in 2013.

 

The Embassy of Niger is located on Haram Street in Giza, an area known as a base for Islamist supporters of Morsi.

Islamist militants have in the past conducted deadly attacks against police checkpoints around Cairo University, close to Giza Square. Islamists and security forces have also faced off in deadly confrontations on a number of occasions in the town of Kerdasa, south of the Haram district.

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