U.S. Embassy bombing attempt misfires

LONDON — An apparent attempt to bomb the U.S. Embassy in Cairo failed Tuesday when an explosive detonated prematurely in the backpack of a wouldbe attacker, the Egyptian government said in a statement. No one was injured.

It was the latest reminder of the continuing threat to Western interests from the simmering unrest in Egypt that began after a military takeover five years ago. The Egyptian military is still battling to extinguish a militant insurgency centered in the North Sinai.

In a statement released through the state-owned news media, the government said police had arrested Abdullah Ayman Abdel-Samie, 24, after a plastic bottle containing flammable chemicals exploded in his bag as he made his way across Simon Bolivar Square toward the embassy compound. The device was intended for “hostile action” and the suspect appeared to “embrace extremist ideas,” the statement said.

A diplomat in the embassy said the explosion was so small no one there heard it or stopped working.

A video that appeared to come from a street-level security camera was circulated by Egyptian and international news media and showed a small explosion knock down a young man with a backpack as he walked by a cement barrier erected near the square. Another video published by state-owned Egyptian news organizations showed police officers removing the man’s pants and escorting him away.

At around 1 p.m., the U.S. Embassy said in a statement that “we are aware of a reported incident on Simon Bolivar Street.” It said people should “exercise caution” and stay away from the area.

About an hour later, the embassy announced the “police have finished their investigations” and said, “the embassy is resuming normal business.”

The would-be bomber’s exact target and motives could not be determined.

Many Egyptians see the United States as a mainstay of support for President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, the former defense minister who seized power in the summer of 2013.