Luxor4u

9.48am British News Channels are reporting via "Breaking News" a homemade bomb has exploded in Central Cairo, no reports of injury as yet.

It was too early. None of the shops where it went off would be open at such an early hour. That said, when I go shopping downtown I almost invariably pass through the passage where it went off at one point or another.

Glyph no need to answer if you think this is too personal. When at the height of the IRA bombings in the UK everyone was aware of the dangers but I don't think anyone actually changed their behaviour or activities. Apart from insisting that family rang them immediately if there was any danger of them being in the vicinity of an incident to assure family that they were OK. Have you found yourself doing anything differently because of the problems in Cairo? And yes I know it's not just Cairo's problem.

I cross the street if I can if there is a policeman because I know they are a potential target and I want to avoid being near them. I avoid passing Cairo University when it is in session. I try to avoid passing courthouses and police stations if I can. We don't leave our neighborhood on Fridays. There are also other things that just sort of have made it a hassle and discourage me from going to certain places that I otherwise would go to because the time and effort to get to the places has increased because of detours that need to be made, such as the longtime closure of Qasr al-Aini Street, the closure of the Sadat metro station, being one of the major transfer points and the access point to Tahrir and nearby areas of downtown. For example, I used to do more shopping downtown for clothes but now I just stick with the shops in our neighborhood because 1-it's harder to get to and from there and 2-at one point there was a lot of random violence downtown too especially involving street vendors. Moreover, for a long while the security on the metro was bad and they didn't bother to make sure people had tickets and probably 50% were boarding without tickets and were riding for free and it got more crowded and I also witnessed a number of violent altercations in the women's cars. The fact is though that troubles generally follow certain patterns and that reduces the risk if you know what they are and work around them.

These happenings in Cairo must be terrible for those that live there, lets hope the security services get a hold of things soon. I have many friends and acquaintances in Cairo.

Local Luxor news is also reporting bomb devises in Luxor this week - both sides of the Nile.

I've heard about several on the East Bank (by the airport and in the center), but where on the West Bank are they reporting them?

Explosive devices defused at Cairo Airport

Explosives experts defused two bombs at Cairo Airport on Tuesday, airport security director Alaa Ali said.

"The first bomb was a primitive bomb while the second was a fake one," Ali told Ahram Online, stressing that both bombs were defused and no one was injured.

One of the explosives was planted under tourism cars in the parking lot adjacent to terminal 1 of the airport on the eastern outskirts of Cairo and another outside Hall 3 of the terminal.

Meanwhile, eye witnesses said that security is tight at all entrances to Cairo International airport after the two bombs were found.

The incident marks the first time bombs have been found at Cairo International Airport during a period in which explosions and the discovery of bombs have become commonplace. Most incidents have occurred in the restive Sinai governorate, though there have been a number of explosions and reports of bombs in other governorates, including greater Cairo.

Also on Tuesday morning, a bomb went off in downtown Cairo, causing no injuries.

Ali said roads to and from the airport are operating normally and airport security are investigating the incident in efforts to identify the perpetrators, adding that a small explosion heard was due to a water canon used in the dismantling process.

Tens of bombs were dismantled across Egypt during the past month, and several went off. An insurgency against Egyptian security forces mainly in Sinai spiked after the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013, but bombs have also been found in and near civilian facilities.

However, victims of militant bombings and shootings have been largely confined to the security forces.

Source: http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/122065.aspx

Glyphdoctor wrote:I've heard about several on the East Bank (by the airport and in the center), but where on the West Bank are they reporting them?

(Remember I'm reading with the help of my mate Bing.)

Saw one today - Zaineb's field, Qurna.
Think there was another one the other day too (but Bing was having a more than bad day).

Glyphdoctor wrote:I've heard about several on the East Bank (by the airport and in the center), but where on the West Bank are they reporting them?

my Egyptian friend told me in the road to KV... can't confirm though.

No those holes are always there, and the oil drums are meant to be avoided and driven round, check those rucksacks!…