Egypt on Thursday said it identified the militant who drove an explosives-laden car into oncoming traffic in central Cairo last weekend before his cargo detonated, killing 20 people and wounding nearly 50.
The Interior Ministry also said security forces killed 17 militants associated with the driver in three shootouts in Cairo, and in the Fayoum province south-west of the capital.
The militants and the driver belonged to Hasm, a breakaway faction linked to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, the ministry said.
It identified the driver as Abdel Rahman Abdel Rahman, 24, a native of Fayoum who had been wanted by military prosecutors over a terrorist case involving Hasm. The ministry said he was identified through DNA testing.
The government released video footage that purports to show Abdel Rahman bidding farewell to his family outside a city park the day before the blast, suggesting that he had intended to stage a suicide attack.
Authorities initially said the blast, which occurred at 11.30pm on Sunday, was caused by a car colliding with three other vehicles as it moved against traffic in a one-way street.
But witnesses said the blast and a subsequent fire were so powerful that they could not have been caused by a collision.
Authorities changed the story on Monday, saying the car was meant for use in a terror attack elsewhere, but did not say whether the driver detonated his cargo or it went off prematurely.
They said the car was stolen several months ago from a Nile Delta province.
Sunday's blast was the deadliest terror incident in Cairo since a suicide bomber struck at a Christian chapel in December 2016, killing 30 people.
That attack was claimed by ISIS, which is leading a years-long insurgency in the northern part of the Sinai Peninsula.
Sunday's incident has raised questions about security in the capital, particularly on how a stolen car loaded with explosives could go unchallenged to the heart of a heavily policed city, complete with checkpoints and security cameras.
The ministry said on Thursday that security forces killed 15 of the 17 militants in a deserted building in the Fayoum desert and in an eastern suburb of Cairo.
President Abdel Fattah El Sisi was the country's military chief when he led the removal in 2013 of Mohammed Morsi, a president from the Muslim Brotherhood, whose one year in office was divisive.
Morsi, who died in prison this year, was ousted from office amid mass protests against his rule.
That was followed by a far-reaching, continuing crackdown aimed at dismantling the group.
Hasm has been blamed for terrorist attacks that began shortly after Morsi's removal.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The%20specs
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Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Golden Shoe top five (as of March 1):
Harry Kane, Tottenham, Premier League, 24 goals, 48 points
Edinson Cavani, PSG, Ligue 1, 24 goals, 48 points
Ciro Immobile, Lazio, Serie A, 23 goals, 46 points
Mohamed Salah, Liverpool, Premier League, 23 goals, 46 points
Lionel Messi, Barcelona, La Liga, 22 goals, 44 points
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder turbo
Transmission: CVT
Power: 170bhp
Torque: 220Nm
Price: Dh98,900
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The Prison Letters of Nelson Mandela
Edited by Sahm Venter
Published by Liveright
Short-term let permits explained
Homeowners and tenants are allowed to list their properties for rental by registering through the Dubai Tourism website to obtain a permit.
Tenants also require a letter of no objection from their landlord before being allowed to list the property.
There is a cost of Dh1,590 before starting the process, with an additional licence fee of Dh300 per bedroom being rented in your home for the duration of the rental, which ranges from three months to a year.
Anyone hoping to list a property for rental must also provide a copy of their title deeds and Ejari, as well as their Emirates ID.
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLA
Price, base / as tested Dh150,900 / Dh173,600
Engine 2.0L inline four-cylinder
Transmission Seven-speed automatic
Power 211hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 1,200rpm
Fuel economy, combined 6.4L / 100km
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Trippier bio
Date of birth September 19, 1990
Place of birth Bury, United Kingdom
Age 26
Height 1.74 metres
Nationality England
Position Right-back
Foot Right
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Conservative MPs who have publicly revealed sending letters of no confidence
- Steve Baker
- Peter Bone
- Ben Bradley
- Andrew Bridgen
- Maria Caulfield
- Simon Clarke
- Philip Davies
- Nadine Dorries
- James Duddridge
- Mark Francois
- Chris Green
- Adam Holloway
- Andrea Jenkyns
- Anne-Marie Morris
- Sheryll Murray
- Jacob Rees-Mogg
- Laurence Robertson
- Lee Rowley
- Henry Smith
- Martin Vickers
- John Whittingdale
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Japan
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Norway
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South Korea
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Company%20profile
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Family reunited
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was born and raised in Tehran and studied English literature before working as a translator in the relief effort for the Japanese International Co-operation Agency in 2003.
She moved to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies before moving to the World Health Organisation as a communications officer.
She came to the UK in 2007 after securing a scholarship at London Metropolitan University to study a master's in communication management and met her future husband through mutual friends a month later.
The couple were married in August 2009 in Winchester and their daughter was born in June 2014.
She was held in her native country a year later.
The biog
Nickname: Mama Nadia to children, staff and parents
Education: Bachelors degree in English Literature with Social work from UAE University
As a child: Kept sweets on the window sill for workers, set aside money to pay for education of needy families
Holidays: Spends most of her days off at Senses often with her family who describe the centre as part of their life too