Pinoys in Egypt told to be vigilant amid suicide bombing attempt

Filipinos in Egypt should "exercise caution" after authorities there foiled a recent suicide bombing attack, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in an advisory.

The DFA noted that the suicide bombing attempt occurred near the site of a petrochemical plant where almost 1,000 Filipinos are working as construction workers.

"We have just been informed by the Philippine Embassy in Cairo that all the Filipinos working in the plant are safe and that the only casualty in the incident that took place past noon on Saturday was the alleged suicide bomber," the DFA said.

According to Ambassador to Cairo Leslie Baja, the target of the attack appeared to be a Coptic church in Shoubra in Qalyubia Governorate, about 100 kilometers from the Egyptian capital, where the country’s largest petrochemical plant is being constructed.

Baja said the embassy remains in touch with the Filipino workers who reported that the plant was placed on lockdown immediately after the suicide bomber prematurely detonated himself some 250 meters from the church.

Baja said operations at the Korean-run construction site have returned to normal but additional security measures have been put in place. —KBK, GMA News