Small Bomb Blasts British Council

A small bomb exploded at the British Council in Hamra Monday night, causing no injuries, but tearing a hole in the outer wall of the cultural and educational facility and shattering nearby windows. The charge, either dynamite or a grenade, detonated at 11.10 pm near the northeastern corner of the cement wall surrounding the facility, stirring area residents out of their homes and into the rain, as army and Internal Security Forces (ISF) personnel arrived to block off the street for investigators. The blast left a meter by a half meter hole in the wall, close to where two soldiers are normally stationed on Sadat Street. The location of the blast made it likely that the guards weren’t at their post at the time of the explosion, with local residents and proprietors saying on-duty soldiers often seek shelter from the rain in nearby nooks. Police said the bomb weighed 400 grams, but it was unclear if the assailant placed the charge by hand or threw it from a passing car. Those at the scene reported that a man had been arrested ­ later confirmed by security sources ­ but he was released shortly thereafter. Full Story