IED bombings have surged by 50 percent from last week, according to an NGO report tracking the course of violence ahead of the parliament elections slated for 22 March-7 May.
Bombings and violence targeting civilians across the country accounted for 79 percent, with explosions meant for security facilities making only 21 percent, said a report by Maat Foundation for Peace and Human Rights, one of the NGOs that had been granted license to observe the electoral process and a member of an alliance of international and local organizations monitoring elections.
The report, the fifth by the NGO alliance, focused on the period from 31 January to 5 February, which preceded the opening of candidacy applications on Sunday.
Violence extended to 19 provinces this week, up from 18 in the last week, the report said, with a remarkable surge in Cairo and Sharqiya. North Sinai has regained a top rank on the violence map, the report added.
The organization said the increase in violence denotes attempts to foil the electoral process through affecting confidence in authorities’ capability of securing the polls.
Attacks targeting public utilities stood at 27 cases, said the report.
Targeting of judicial facilities, however, dropped from five incidents last week to only one this week.
