Interior Ministry says 'terrorists' involved in possible 'suicide' bombing

CAIRO (AA) – The Interior Ministry has asserted that "terrorists" were involved in an assassination attempt on Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim, describing the blast that struck his motorcade on Thursday morning as a possible "suicide" bombing. "Early indications show the involvement of terrorists in committing the attack, which was possibly a suicide bombing triggered by a powerful explosive charge put inside the trunk of a parked car," the ministry said in its second statement on the incident. According to the statement, ten policemen and 11 passersby – including a seven-year-old child – were injured in the attack. The ministry said authorities were examining body parts found at the site following the explosion, which also destroyed the facades of several nearby buildings and a number of vehicles. Meanwhile, a security source said that preliminary investigations had revealed that the assassination attempt had been carried out by two men, both of whom had been killed in the attack. The Interior Ministry has neither confirmed nor denied this version of the incident. No individuals or groups, meanwhile, have claimed responsibility for the attack. Ibrahim, for his part, did not rule out the possible involvement of "foreign" parties in the assassination attempt – in coordination, he said, with domestic groups – with the aim of "triggering a state of terrorism." englishnews@aa.com.tr