Egyptian police have arrested ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi’s former prime minister as tensions rise after a car bomb killed 15 people.
Hisham Qandil, facing a one-year jail sentence for failing to respect a court ruling while in office, was arrested in the desert outside Cairo.
An unpopular prime minister who struggled to right a dire economy, Mr Qandil has kept a relatively low profile since the military overthrew Mr Morsi in July.
Efforts to defuse tensions failed in August, with the police launching a massive crackdown that killed more than 1000 people in street clashes.
Mr Qandil’s arrest followed an early-morning car bombing early on Tuesday outside the police headquarters in the Nile Delta city of Mansoura that killed at least 15 people, including at least 12 policemen.
The explosion, which the country’s military installed authorities suggested was carried out by Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood, was one of the deadliest since the Islamist leader was ousted, Sydney Morning Herald informs.
