Egypt expresses "annoyance" with US Embassy over threat warning
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CAIRO- Egypt's foreign ministry sharply criticised the US Embassy in Cairo for advising citizens to avoid large gatherings in the capital until Sunday, calling the move "unjustifiable".
The largest Arab nation is currently battling an Islamist insurgency mainly concentrated in the Sinai Peninsula and which gained pace after its military ousted President Mohamed Mursi, an Islamist, in 2013 after mass protests against his rule. There have been occasional militant attacks in Cairo and other cities.
The US Embassy's message warned against being in public spaces, near diplomatic missions, government buildings, and transport hubs. It cited "potential security concerns" but did not specify what they were.
"The foreign ministry spokesman has conveyed his annoyance at the warning released by the United States embassy in Cairo to Americans," the ministry said in a statement. "(This) raises questions over the reasons this statement was released in such a way."
