Terrorists have wreaked havoc in Cairo, killing five people in devastating bomb blasts.
Almost 70 people were wounded in the three attacks, starting with a car bomb that left a four metre-deep crater outside the police headquarters.
That blast, reportedly followed up by gunmen on motorcycles, killed four people, and two more followed in other locations.
Shocked crowds gathered to survey the wreckage left by the blasts, which came ahead of the anniversary of the 2011 uprising which ousted long-term ruler Hosni Mubarak.
A crater caused by the bomb
A crowd gathers around the debris of a car
The BBC reported that a militant group called Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, which means Champions of Jerusalem, had claimed responsibility for the car bomb.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW:
Cairo Bombings
(01 of30)
Egyptian plainclothes policemen stand guard in front of the Islamic museum at the site of a suicide car bomb at the Egyptian police headquarters in downtown Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Jan. 24, 2014. Egypt's antiquities minister, Mohammed Ibrahim, said the explosion badly damaged the facade of the 19th century museum and artifacts inside, including a rare collection of Islamic art objects dating back to 1881. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil) (credit:AP)
(02 of30)
An Egyptian stands atop a light pole as he waves a national flag and shouts anti-terrorism slogans in front the site of a blast at the Egyptian police headquarters in downtown Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Jan. 24, 2014. Three bombings hit high-profile areas around Cairo on Friday, including a suicide car bomber who struck the city's police headquarters, killing several people in the first major attack on the Egyptian capital as insurgents step up a campaign of violence following the ouster of the Islamist president.(AP Photo/Amr Nabil) (credit:AP)
(03 of30)
Egyptian plainclothes policemen stand guard in front of the Islamic museum at the site of a blast at the Egyptian police headquarters in downtown Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Jan. 24, 2014. Egypt's antiquities minister says the car bombing that struck the main police headquarters in Cairo earlier in the day has caused major damage to the nearby Islamic art museum.(AP Photo/Amr Nabil) (credit:AP)
(04 of30)
Egyptians check a destroyed taxi cab after an explosion at the Egyptian police headquarters in downtown Cairo, Friday, Jan. 24, 2014. A car bomb struck the Egyptian police headquarters in downtown Cairo on Friday, killing at least several people and wounding dozens, the country's state media reported. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra) (credit:AP)
(05 of30)
An Egyptian policeman stands guard after a car bomb attack at the Egyptian police headquarters in downtown Cairo, Friday, Jan. 24, 2014. Three bombings hit high-profile areas around Cairo on Friday, including a suicide car bomber who struck the city's police headquarters, killing several people in the first major attack on the Egyptian capital as insurgents step up a campaign of violence following the ouster of the Islamist president.(AP Photo/Khalil Hamra) (credit:AP)
(06 of30)
An Egyptian firefighter washes his hands after an explosion at the Egyptian police headquarters in downtown Cairo, Friday, Jan. 24, 2014. Three bombings hit high-profile areas around Cairo on Friday, including a suicide car bomber who struck the city's police headquarters, killing several people in the first major attack on the Egyptian capital as insurgents step up a campaign of violence following the ouster of the Islamist president.(AP Photo/Khalil Hamra) (credit:AP)
(07 of30)
Egyptian women react after an explosion at the Egyptian police headquarters in downtown Cairo, Friday, Jan. 24, 2014. A car bomb struck the Egyptian police headquarters in downtown Cairo on Friday, killing at least several people and wounding dozens, the country's state media reported. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra) (credit:AP)
(08 of30)
Egyptians salvage what they can of documents after an explosion at the Egyptian police headquarters in downtown Cairo, Friday, Jan. 24, 2014. A car bomb struck the Egyptian police headquarters in downtown Cairo on Friday, killing at least several people and wounding dozens, the country's state media reported. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra) (credit:AP)
(09 of30)
A shoe, believed to belong to a victim lies at the site of a blast at the Egyptian police headquarters in downtown Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Jan. 24, 2014. A car bomb struck the main Egyptian police headquarters Friday in the heart of Cairo, killing several people in a hugely symbolic attack on the eve of the third anniversary of the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime autocratic ruler Hosni Mubarak. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil) (credit:AP)
(10 of30)
An Egyptian waves a national flag in front the site of a blast at the Egyptian police headquarters in downtown Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Jan. 24, 2014. A car bomb struck the main Egyptian police headquarters Friday in the heart of Cairo, killing several people in a hugely symbolic attack on the eve of the third anniversary of the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime autocratic ruler Hosni Mubarak. The poster on his shirt shows Egypt's Defense Minister, Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil) (credit:AP)
(11 of30)
An Egyptian stands atop a light pole as he waves a national flag and shouts anti-terrorism slogans in front the site of a blast at the Egyptian police headquarters in downtown Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Jan. 24, 2014. The poster at right showing Egypt's Defense Minister, Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi with Arabic that reads, "together anti-terrorism." A car bomb struck the main Egyptian police headquarters Friday in the heart of Cairo, killing several people in a hugely symbolic attack on the eve of the third anniversary of the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime autocratic ruler Hosni Mubarak. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil) (credit:AP)
(12 of30)
Egyptians shout anti-terrorism slogans as they demonstrate in front the site of a blast at the Egyptian police headquarters, at right, and the Islamic museum, at left, in downtown Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Jan. 24, 2014. A car bomb struck the main Egyptian police headquarters Friday in the heart of Cairo, killing several people in a hugely symbolic attack on the eve of the third anniversary of the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime autocratic ruler Hosni Mubarak. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil) (credit:AP)
(13 of30)
An Egyptian policeman shouts at bystanders to keep away from the site of a blast at the Egyptian police headquarters in downtown Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Jan. 24, 2014. A car bomb struck the main Egyptian police headquarters Friday in the heart of Cairo, killing at least several people in a hugely symbolic attack on the eve of the third anniversary of the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime autocratic ruler Hosni Mubarak. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil) (credit:AP)
(14 of30)
Egyptian policemen and journalists look at the debris of a car at the site of a blast at the Egyptian police headquarters in downtown Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Jan. 24, 2014. A car bomb struck the main Egyptian police headquarters Friday in the heart of Cairo, killing several people in a hugely symbolic attack on the eve of the third anniversary of the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime autocratic ruler Hosni Mubarak. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil) (credit:AP)
(15 of30)
Egyptian policemen stand guard in front of the Islamic museum at the site of a blast at the Egyptian police headquarters in downtown Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Jan. 24, 2014. Egypt's antiquities minister says the car bombing that struck the main police headquarters in Cairo earlier in the day has caused major damage to the nearby Islamic art museum.(AP Photo/Amr Nabil) (credit:AP)
(16 of30)
An injured Egyptian police officer works with others at the site after a blast at the Egyptian police headquarters in downtown Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Jan. 24, 2014. A car bomb struck the main Egyptian police headquarters Friday in the heart of Cairo, killing at least several people in a hugely symbolic attack on the eve of the third anniversary of the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime autocratic ruler Hosni Mubarak. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra) (credit:AP)
(17 of30)
An Egyptian firefighter checks a crater made due to a blast at the Egyptian police headquarters in downtown Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Jan. 24, 2014. A car bomb struck the main Egyptian police headquarters Friday in the heart of Cairo, killing at least several people in a hugely symbolic attack on the eve of the third anniversary of the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime autocratic ruler Hosni Mubarak. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil) (credit:AP)
(18 of30)
Egyptian policemen are seen through the debris at the site of a blast at the Egyptian police headquarters in downtown Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Jan. 24, 2014. A car bomb struck the main Egyptian police headquarters Friday in the heart of Cairo, killing at least several people in a hugely symbolic attack on the eve of the third anniversary of the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime autocratic ruler Hosni Mubarak. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil) (credit:AP)
(19 of30)
An Egyptian police officer talk to others as working in a paddle made from a burst of an underground water pipe due to a blast at the Egyptian police headquarters in downtown Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Jan. 24, 2014. A car bomb struck the main Egyptian police headquarters Friday in the heart of Cairo, killing at least several people in a hugely symbolic attack on the eve of the third anniversary of the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime autocratic ruler Hosni Mubarak. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra) (credit:AP)
(20 of30)
Egyptian police officers investigate the site after a blast at the Egyptian police headquarters as people gather in downtown Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Jan. 24, 2014. A car bomb struck the main Egyptian police headquarters Friday in the heart of Cairo, killing at least several people in a hugely symbolic attack on the eve of the third anniversary of the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime autocratic ruler Hosni Mubarak. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra) (credit:AP)
(21 of30)
Egyptian police officers stand guard at the site of a blast at the Egyptian police headquarters in downtown Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Jan. 24, 2014. A car bomb struck the main Egyptian police headquarters Friday in the heart of Cairo, killing at least several people in a hugely symbolic attack on the eve of the third anniversary of the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime autocratic ruler Hosni Mubarak. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra) (credit:AP)
(22 of30)
An injured man is taken to an ambulance after a blast at the Egyptian police headquarters in downtown Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Jan. 24, 2014. A car bomb struck the Egyptian police headquarters in downtown Cairo on Friday, killing at least several people and wounding dozens, the country's state media reported. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra) (credit:AP)
(23 of30)
Egyptian firefighters check the damage at the site of a blast at the Egyptian police headquarters in downtown Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Jan. 24, 2014. A car bomb struck the main Egyptian police headquarters Friday in the heart of Cairo, killing at least several people in a hugely symbolic attack on the eve of the third anniversary of the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime autocratic ruler Hosni Mubarak. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra) (credit:AP)
(24 of30)
Egyptian firefighters check the damage of the site after a blast at the Egyptian police headquarters in downtown Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Jan. 24, 2014. A car bomb struck the main Egyptian police headquarters Friday in the heart of Cairo, killing at least several people in a hugely symbolic attack on the eve of the third anniversary of the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime autocratic ruler Hosni Mubarak. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra) (credit:AP)
(25 of30)
Egyptian police officers investigate the site of a blast at the Egyptian police headquarters in downtown Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Jan. 24, 2014. A car bomb struck the Egyptian police headquarters in downtown Cairo on Friday, killing at least several people and wounding dozens, the country's state media reported. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra) (credit:AP)
(26 of30)
People surround a body covered with a blanket on the street after a car bomb explosion at the Egyptian police headquarters in downtown Cairo, Friday, Jan. 24, 2014. A car bomb struck the main Egyptian police headquarters Friday in the heart of Cairo, killing at least several people in a hugely symbolic attack on the eve of the third anniversary of the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime autocratic ruler Hosni Mubarak. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra) (credit:AP)
(27 of30)
A man carries an Egyptian police officer to an ambulance after a blast at the Egyptian police headquarters in downtown Cairo, Friday, Jan. 24, 2014. A car bomb struck the Egyptian police headquarters in downtown Cairo on Friday, killing at least several people and wounding dozens, the country's state media reported. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra) (credit:AP)
(28 of30)
Egyptian police officers sit on the street after a blast at the Egyptian police headquarters in downtown Cairo, Friday, Jan. 24, 2014. A car bomb struck the Egyptian police headquarters in downtown Cairo on Friday, killing at least several people and wounding dozens, the country's state media reported. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra) (credit:AP)
(29 of30)
Egyptian police officers and firefighters gather at the Egyptian police headquarters after a blast in downtown Cairo on Friday, Jan. 24, 2014. A car bomb struck the Egyptian police headquarters in downtown Cairo on Friday, killing at least several people and wounding dozens, the country's state media reported. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra) (credit:AP)
(30 of30)
Egyptian police officers walk thorough water that came out of the underground water pipe after a blast at the Egyptian police headquarters as firefighters check the damage in downtown Cairo, Friday, Jan. 24, 2014. A car bomb struck the Egyptian police headquarters in downtown Cairo on Friday, killing at least several people and wounding dozens, the country's state media reported. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra) (credit:AP)
Onlookers blamed the Muslim Brotherhood, which was ousted by a military coup in July, The Guardian reported.
Gunmen on motorcycles reportedly opened fire after the explosions, eyewitnesses said.