EygptA previously unknown Islamist group said it was behind a bombing which killed three people in Cairo, including two western tourists, according to an Internet posting yesterday.
The group, calling itself the Islamic Pride Brigades in the Land of the Nile, said one of its militants carried out Thursday's bombing, which it said was a suicide attack to protest against the "tyranny" of the government of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak and US policies in the region.
The authenticity of the message, posted on an Islamist website by a user who said he had obtained it elsewhere, could not be verified.
"We announce our complete responsibility for the blast in Cairo. . . This martyrdom operation was carried out by Abu al-Alaa al-Masri," it said, using what appeared to be a nom de guerre for the bomber.
Officials said the bombing in a Cairo bazaar killed an American man, a French woman and a man who was probably the bomber.
"The motives for this operation include revenge for the martyrs of tyranny and detainees. . . and revenge against America and all colonial forces for acting against Muslims in Iraq, Palestine and elsewhere," the statement said. It said the location of the bombing was chosen because it was popular with tourists, adding it would soon issue a video of the attack.