Power restored to #Egypt media city after attacks on pylons

Six improvised bombs went off at electricity pylons near the media city located on the outside of the capital

Electricity has been restored to the Egyptian Media Production City (EMPC) in 6 of October city near Cairo early Tuesday after overnight bomb attacks on two nearby electricity pylons.

Six improvised bombs detonated late Monday night at two electricity pylons, located four kilometers away from the Egyptian satellite-operation company Nilesat, state news agency As reported.

Power was cut at the nearby EMPC, forcing several TV channels off air. However, it has now been restored.

No injuries were reported.

The Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company said in a statement on Tuesday that Pylon 21, located near the 6 October electricity station and the EMPC, fell as blasts targeted its foundations. It said Pylon 20 was also attacked, tilted, but did not fall.  

The company has launched the backup electricity generators at EMPC to restore power and is currently working on fixing the pylons over the next 7-10 days at an estimated cost of LE600-800 thousand per pylon.

In recent months, bomb attacks have increasingly targeted electricity pylons near economic or strategic targets.

In March, simultaneous bomb attacks at electricity transmission units cut power off Egypt’s industrial 10th of Ramadan city.

Egyptian cities have witnessed bomb attacks and drive-by shootings, mainly targeting police and army personnel, since the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013.

However, civilians have been also been affected.

Anti-government Islamist militant groups have claimed responsibility for several attacks, particularly in North Sinai where the army has been facing a decade-long jihadist insurgency that has intensified over the past year and half.