Special to WorldTribune.com

CAIRO — Al Qaida’s latest militia has raised its profile in Egypt.

Al Qaida’s Ajnad Misr  militia has claimed responsibility for what was termed one of the most sophisticated bombing attacks in the Islamist revolt.

Ajnad said it conducted a triple bombing outside Cairo University on April 2 that killed a senior police official.

“We previously cancelled many of our operations because of the possibility that shrapnel could reach civilians,” Ajnad said.

Ajnad, which reported its last attack on Feb. 7, said improvised explosive devices targeted senior police commanders, including Brig. Gen. Tariq Mergawi, an investigation chief in Cairo. Ajnad said Mergawi was involved in the “killing of innocents, trespassing of honors, and participation in the [August 2013] Nahda massacre.”

“If only the soldiers of tyranny knew that behind these women are men that will seek retribution, and that they have heroes that will seek revenge for what they dared to do to our women and for their trampling on our honor and for the prisons overflowing with our girls,” Ajnad said.

In its statement hours after the attack outside Cairo University, Ajnad said the explosives were reduced in the four IEDs to avoid collateral damage. The insurgency network said this was the case in attacks on March 4, 11 and 29. Ajnad said it delayed detonation of its third IED for two hours to avoid harming university students.

Ajnad was announced in January 2014 and warned that it would target
Egypt’s security forces. The group, said to coordinate with Ansar Beit
Maqdis, has so far claimed responsibility for eight attacks — all around
Cairo. Egypt’s Interior Ministry blamed the ousted Muslim Brotherhood for
the latest attack.

Arab diplomatic sources said Ajnad has grown quickly around southern
Egypt, particularly the Assiyut province. They said Ajnad was coordinating
operations with Ansar, deemed the largest insurgency group in Egypt.

  Ajnad Misr, Al Qaida militia raises profile with Cairo attack it claims was delayed to spare civilians, Ansar Beit Maqdis, Brig. Gen. Tariq Mergawi