Related Jihadist escalation leaves civilians more threatened in Egypt

A bomb exploded at Cairo's High Court building, killing two men and injuring nine on Monday, according to health ministry spokesperson Hossam Abdel-Gaffar.

The deceased, two civilians, were pronounced dead when they succumbed to their injuries hours after the blast, the last of a cluster of bombings that Egypt has been witnessing for a year and a half.

The area surrounding the building - which houses the General Prosecutor's office and is the headquarters of some of the country's most senior courts - was searched by explosives experts who found no more explosive devices.

After the explosion, hundreds of people in downtown's crowded Ramses Street, where the building is located, ran towards the explosion site, but security forces soon cordoned it off. The security cordon was, however, surrounded by hundreds of bystanders.

Cairo Governor Galal Saed visited the scene to examine the bombing's aftermath.

Tens of bystanders chanted in support of the police.

Egypt has recently seen a spike in bombings in civilian areas which seldom happened before as militants focused on targetting police and army personnel and facilities.

A car bomb in October detonated in the same location, causing 13 injuries but no deaths. Another bomb exploded in the nearby Qasr El-Nil Street in February but caused no injuries.

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