A deadly car bomb attack on a security building in northern Egypt has killed 15 people and injured more than 100 others.
The blast led to the collapse of the five-storey building in Mansoura, north of Cairo.
Security officials said the attack bore the hallmarks of the Sinai-based Salafist-jihadist group called the Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis.
The dead included least 12 policemen and a security chief among those hurt.
Mansoura is the capital of Dakahliya province in the Nile Delta region.
Since Mr Morsi was ousted as Egypt’s first democratically elected president, his supporters have been staging mass rallies demanding his immediate release.
Mr Morsi is now facing three separate criminal trials relating to his time in office. His first trial opened on 4 November, but has been adjourned until 8 January.
US Condemns The Attack
In a press statement in Washington DC, Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki said the United States condemns in the strongest possible terms today’s terrorist attack on the Dakaliya security directorate in Mansoura.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the families of the victims, and we hope for the quick recovery of the injured.” – Ms. Psaki
She underlined that the United States stands firmly with the Egyptian people as they work to put their country on the path towards democracy, stability, and economic prosperity, in an atmosphere free from violence.
Rising Tide of Violence Sweeps Egypt
In August this year, bloodshed killed almost 500 as protests against the ousting of former President Mohamed Morsi continue to plague the country.
Unrest has engulfed the African country since the start of demonstrations when the former president’s supporters marched in the street to protest the Egyptian army’s actions to overthrow the country’s duly elected president from power and install a provisional government in July.
The staging of public demonstrations turned violent and the Egyptian security forces cracked down on them, killing hundreds of demonstrators.
Looking Back
In May 2012, with the hope of regaining the country’s stability after the revolution, Egyptians headed to the polls to cast their ballots in the country’s first free vote for a leader in 5,000 years of history.
Around 50 million eligible Egyptian voters were called to choose 13 candidates.
US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said at the time that the United States was looking forward to working with Egypt’s democratically elected government as the Egyptian people concluded a historic two days of voting in the first round of their presidential election, marking another important milestone in their transition to democracy.
Ms. Clinton said the United States will continue to stand with the Egyptian people as they work to seize the promise of last year’s uprising and build a democracy that reflects their values and traditions, respects universal human rights, and meets their aspirations for dignity and a better life.
In February 2011, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced that the United States stood ready to provide assistance to Egypt to advance its efforts. Secretary Clinton announced $150 million budget to assist Egypt in its economic recovery after the turmoil.
Earlier in 2012, President Obama also proposed a $1 billion cancellation of Egyptian debt to support Egypt’s economic recovery.
Egypt has made progress on human rights since the revolution that toppled the regime of Hosni Mubarak.
Long-standing regimes were toppled by a wave of pro-democracy protests that engulfed much of North Africa and the Middle East in 2011, particularly in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya.
