Cairo: Egyptian authorities Saturday briefly halted train services in the northern and southern parts of the country due to bomb alerts, amid increased security measures ahead of the anniversary of the 2011 uprising.
The rail traffic was temporarily suspended in Upper Egypt after two crude bombs had been located on tracks in the southern town of Bani Suweif, a security source said.
The bombs were defused and the rail service resumed later, the source added on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media.
“The service was also stopped in the (northern) Delta area after a strange object had been found on tracks in Menufia,” the source said, referring to a province located around 80 kilometres north of Cairo.
“Explosives experts are examining this object before the train service is allowed to resume.”
Egypt’s rail service had been halted for more than three months in 2013 due to the unrest triggered by the army’s removal of Islamist president Mohammad Mursi following enormous street protests against his one-year rule.
Since his overthrow, Egypt has experienced an increase in attacks targeting security forces and civil facilities.
Egyptian authorities have in the past few days intensified security ahead of January 25, which marks the fourth anniversary of the start of the revolt that eventually forced long-serving president Hosni Mubarak to step down.
An alliance led by Mursi’s Muslim Brotherhood has called for massive protests on the anniversary against the government of incumbent President Abdul Fattah Al Sissi, a former defence minister who led the toppling of the Islamist leader.
