A man reacts after an explosion, which was followed by two further blasts, in front of Cairo University
A man reacts after an explosion, which was followed by two further blasts, in front of Cairo University April 2, 2014. A series of explosions outside Cairo University killed two people on Wednesday, including a police brigadier-general, security officials said, in what appeared to be the latest militant attack in a fast-growing insurgency. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

Canada closed its embassy in Cairo on Monday, Dec. 8 due to security issues. It was only last Sunday that the British Embassy in Cairo was closed to the public due to similar concerns.

The Canadian Embassy in Cairo said in its website that its "ability to provide consular services" might be "limited for short periods due to unsettled security conditions." The chief concern for Canada behind closing the embassy is the insurgency Egypt has been battling for some time now. Islamist insurgent attacks around Sinai, strategically placed near the border of Gaza, Israel and the Suez Canal, have largely targeted Egyptian soldiers and policemen. Even though hundreds of people were killed in 2013, Canada's security concerns might have heightened after Sinai Province, the most dangerous extremist organisation in the country, declared that it had been responsible for killing a U.S. oil engineer in August. Reuters reports that smaller bombs regularly explode in the Nile Delta and the national capital.

It was, on the other hand, not clear if the British embassy had any specific threat to close its services. However, it is reported that Egyptian authorities detained a suspected extremist who had claimed that foreign embassies were likely to be targeted. Australia, meanwhile, gave an updated statement to tourists on Dec 6. "We continue to advise against all travel to the governorate of North Sinai," it said, "We continue to advise Australians to reconsider their need to travel elsewhere in Egypt due to on-going political tension and the threat of terrorist attack." It was earlier reported that terrorists might have plans to attack government ministries, Cairo embassies and tourist sites.

Canada's decision to close the embassy may also have a connection with a recent video where a supposedly Canadian man urged attacks against his own country. The Sunday video gave reference to killing Canadian soldiers and attacking the Ottawa parliament. Canada is one of the allies in the on-going U.S.-led mission against Islamic State militants in the Middle East. Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney said that Canada should remain vigilant. "That is why we are taking part in the coalition that is currently conducting air strikes against ISIL [ISIS], and supporting the security forces in Iraq in their fight against this terrorist scourge," BBC quoted Blaney.

Contact the writer: s.mukhopadhyay@ibtimes.com.au

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