CAIRO

Egyptian security forces have cordoned off all streets leading to the U.S. Embassy in Cairo following reports of an attempted bomb attack near the embassy building.  

Speaking on its official Twitter account, the embassy urged U.S. nationals residing in Egypt to exercise caution.  

“We are aware of a reported incident on Simon Bolivar Street in Cairo. Please avoid the area and monitor local media for updates,” the embassy tweeted.  

It added: “We are aware of reports that public transportation near the area has been disrupted due to the incident. Please exercise caution.”  

No further details were given regarding the incident, but foreign media outlets have reported that a man had attempted to detonate an explosive device near the embassy premises. 

Egypt’s Interior Ministry later announced the arrest of an “extremist” in the vicinity of the embassy, saying the suspect had been planning to carry out a “hostile act”. 

“Security personnel near [Cairo’s] Simon Bolivar Square arrested Abdullah Ayman Abdel-Samie after his backpack, which contained a plastic bottle filled with flammable material, caught fire,” a statement released by the ministry said.  

Preliminary investigations, it added, had shown that the suspect embraced an “extremist” ideology. 

No casualties or damage were reported as a result of the incident, according to the ministry.