Egypt vows to crack down on terrorism with iron hand

Egypt's cabinet vowed Thursday to strike terrorism with "an iron hand", hours after Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim survived an assassination attempt in a bomb explosion in eastern Cairo.

"The cabinet will hit with an iron hand those who are playing with the nation's security until security returns across the country," the cabinet said in a statement, condemning the assault on the interior minister's convoy.

It also stressed the attack would not hinder the government's efforts to fight terrorism firmly and decisively, Xinhua reported.

On Thursday morning, Ibrahim survived an assassination attempt when a bomb exploded near his convoy, but seven other people were injured, according to security and medical sources.

The blast occurred in Nasr city in eastern Cairo as the minister was on his way from home to the interior ministry headquarters, Xinhua cited state-run MENA news agency as reporting.

All the streets were totally closed in the area and the traffic on Mosutafa el-Nahas street, where the explosion took place, was crippled. Some nearby shops were totally damaged.

A mosque in Nasr city was the venue of a major sit-in organised by supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi, which was dispersed by security forces last month.