Possible assassination attempt kills top Egyptian prosecutor
Egypt's Prosecutor General Hesham Barakat was killed in what is believed to have been an assassination attempt early Monday. Earlier reports had claimed that Barakat had only suffered a dislocated shoulder and cut on his nose after an explosion near his convoy in the Cairo neighborhood of Heliopolis. Newer reports say the explosion was likely caused by a car bomb.
The Prosecutor General's Office is responsible for handling highly contentious criminal cases including terrorism and political crimes. Additionally, the prosecution of the Muslim Brotherhood, whose regime was removed in 2013, is ongoing. Several groups, including one affiliated with ISIS, have carried out attacks on soldiers and police as retaliation or protest over the past two years.
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