Is Egypt’s revolution turning into an Islamist insurgency?

The co-ordinated bomb attacks went off the day before the third anniversary of General Mubarak’s fall from power – three years which have been killed with political turmoil and unrest.

The White House has condemned the bombings and urged all sides to refrain from violence.

A suicide bomber is thought to have been behind the car bomb, which sent black smoke rising over the capital.

Three policemen were among the fatalities, security sources said. At least 76 in total are said to have suffered injuries.

Two more blasts rocked the capital a couple of hours later in other parts of Cairo. On Thursday five policemen were shot dead by gunmen south of the city.

Scattered debris

Witnesses told Reuters that they heard gunfire immediately after the huge blast, which twisted the metal and shattered windows of nearby shops. Wood and metal debris was scattered hundreds of metres around.

One body covered in a blanket lay in a pool of blood near a scorched car engine. Egypt‘s state television quoted witnesses as saying gunmen on motorcycles opened fire on buildings after the explosion. No-one has yet claimed responsibility for the blast.

The attack came on the eve of the third anniversary of the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak from power and raised hopes of a stable democracy in the Arab world’s biggest nation. The banned Muslim Brotherhood has planned demonstrations across Egypt after Friday prayers for the anniversary of the uprising.

President Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood was toppled from power last July after mass protests.

The current interim Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi condemned the attack on the Cairo Security Directorate in a statement, saying it was an attempt by “terrorist forces” to derail the political road map which was, nevertheless, being implemented “firmly”.