Britian, Canada shutter Cairo embassies over security fears

Security officials say plot uncovered to target Western embassies in Egyptian capital, abduct foreigners and assassinate officials; US keeps mission open

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CAIRO — The Canadian Embassy in the Egyptian capital closed on Monday over unspecified security concerns, a day after the British Embassy also suspended its services over safety worries.

The two Western embassies, located next door to one another in the central Cairo district of Garden City, gave no further details on their closures. The nearby US Embassy remained open.

However, three senior Egyptian security officials told The Associated Press that recent arrests of suspected militants revealed plans to target the embassies, abduct foreign nationals and assassinate public figures. They did not elaborate.

The Canadian Embassy announced its closure through a recorded message on its main telephone number on Monday.

Neither embassy said how long its closure would last.

A fourth Egyptian security official told the AP that the Canadians asked that all roads around their embassy be closed off and that they also requested more security. The official said authorities would increase security but that the roads could not be closed.

Egypt’s official MENA news agency, citing an unnamed security official, said the British Embassy had also asked for more security around its grounds.

On Sunday, Britain’s Foreign Office said public services were suspended at its Cairo embassy and people shouldn’t come to the embassy building. It gave no details of the threat.

An Egyptian security official said the embassy had contacted the Interior Ministry, which is in charge of police, to request “stepped up security” around its premises, but that it did not elaborate on its security concerns.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak to the media.

Egypt has seen a surge in bombing blamed on Islamic militants fighting the government of President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi.

On Saturday, the Australian government said travelers should reconsider their need to go to Egypt, citing reports “that terrorists may be planning attacks against tourist sites, government ministries and embassies in Cairo.”

The American government told US Embassy staff Saturday to avoid universities in Cairo because of “potentially dangerous activities,” including violent protests and terrorist attacks, and said its employees were also barred from traveling by train and subway.

There was no statement by the Egyptian government on the embassy closures.