Five people have been killed and nearly 70 wounded after
three blasts in the Egyptian capital that appeared to target
the police force.
The attacks began with a powerful car bomb that exploded
outside the police headquarters in central Cairo, killing four
people and wounding 51.
Within hours, two other blasts occurred elsewhere in the
city, killing one person and injuring 15.
The attacks come on the eve of the third anniversary of the
2011 uprising.
The revolution brought about the removal of the country's
decades-long ruler Hosni Mubarak.
An al-Qaeda-inspired militant group Ansar Beit al-Maqdis
(Champions of Jerusalem) has admitted responsibility for
the attack on the police headquarters.
The group previously claimed responsibility for a car bomb
attack on a security building in the northern city of
Mansoura in December that killed 16 people and injured
more than 100 others.
The authorities blamed Mr Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood for
that attack - something the group strongly denied - and
declared it a terrorist group shortly afterwards.
Tense time
The explosion at the police headquarters in Cairo happened
at around 06:30 (04:30 GMT) local time.
The powerful blast was felt across the city and black smoke
could be seen rising over the scene.
Egyptian Interior Minister Muhammad Ibrahim said it
appeared to be the work of a suicide bomber.
"Apparently, a lorry with two people stood in front of the
building and suicide bomber blew himself up," he said in
remarks broadcast by state television.
Gunfire was reportedly heard soon after the blast.
More than 30 ambulances raced to the scene. Most of the
wounded are now in hospital, the health ministry says.
There was extensive damage to the large concrete building
with debris strewn across the street.
Around six police officers sat on the pavement outside and
wept, an Associated Press photographer said.
The nearby Islamic museum and the National Archives
building were also damaged.
The BBC's Orla Guerin, reporting from Cairo, says the
security directorate is a very significant target and should
have been one of the best protected buildings in the city.
As people in Cairo were taking in news of the blast, a
second explosion occurred in the Dokki district of the
capital.
One person was killed and 15 were wounded in a blast that,
according to one report, targeted police vehicles near the
metro station.
A short while later, officials said a third device had been set
off near a police station near the famous Giza pyramids.
No-one was hurt.
The attacks come at a tense time, with security forces
already on heightened alert ahead of the anniversary of the
start of the uprising against Mubarak, our correspondent
says.
The banned Muslim Brotherhood and its partners are
planning demonstrations after Friday prayers across the
country.
They are the latest in a series of regular demonstrations
against the overthrow of Islamist President Mohammed
Morsi in July - a year after he became Egypt's first
democratically-elected leader.
Brotherhood supporters are also angry about recent moves
to introduce a new constitution.
Interim Prime Minister Hazem Beblawi, speaking in a BBC
interview before news of the blasts, set out conditions for
parliamentary and presidential elections to be held within
the next six months.
He said any supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood could take
part if "he accepts the new constitution... refuses the use of
force and he accepts the idea of a secular government,
democratic one, open, no discrimination, no mixing of
religion and politics, and accepting human rights".
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