A bomb placed under a car exploded in Egypt’s second city Alexandria on Saturday, killing two people including a policeman, state news agency MENA reported.
The bombing, which also wounded four policemen, had targeted Alexandria’s security chief police Major General Mostafa al-Nemr, the interior ministry said.
MENA quoted Nemr as saying that two people, a policeman and a driver, were killed in the blast.
Photos on social media that Reuters could not independently verify showed a burnt out car and smoke at the site of the blast.
"On Saturday March 24 an explosive device planted underneath a car exploded . . . as the Alexandria security chief drove by," the interior ministry statement said.
Eyewitnesses said police and military personnel had formed a perimeter around the site of the explosion, which took place two days before the country is due to hold a presidential election.
The explosion was the result of a car bomb which targeted the motorcade of the head of security in Alexandria, an Egyptian security source told Al Jazeera.
Reports on Twitter indicated that the blast occurred near the Tolip Hotel on Saturday afernoon in Stanley, a neighbourhood in Egypt's second city.
Alexandria resident posted photos of smoke rising from the explosion site. At least one person was killed and three wounded in an explosion in Alexandria, according to medical and security sources.
Security sources said that the explosion was caused by a car bomb targeting Alexandria's security chief, Reuters reported.
Reports on Twitter indicated that the blast occurred near the Tolip Hotel on Saturday afternoon in Stanley, a neighbourhood in Egypt's second city.
A resident from Alexandria posted photos of smoke rising from the explosion site.
The car bomb exploded in the holiday hotspot of Alexandria - Egypt’s second city, the interior ministry said
The car bomb exploded in the holiday hotspot of Alexandria - Egypt’s second city, the interior ministry said
The bombing was reported to have targeted the director of Alexandria Security in the Roshdy district of Alexandria, eXtra news reported.
Emergency services have rushed to the scene in a bid to help the wounded.
It is not yet known if the attack is terror related.
The bomb exploded into a massive fireball, sending smoke billowing into the air, near the Tolip Hotel on Saturday afternoon in Stanley, a neighbourhood in Egypt's second city.
Eyewitnesses posted photos of smoke rising from the explosion site on social media site, Twitter.
Crowds of people appear to be running away from the scene, shortly after the explosion.
A large crowd of men then gathered at a safe distance from the the blast area, photos from Twitter show.
Video from the scene, by 24 Live, appears to show the Egyptian security services examining the burnt out shell of a car.
