Egypt president pledges reprisals after palace blasts

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi pledged "retribution" after two policemen were killed defusing bombs outside his palace on Monday, almost a year after he overthrew his predecessor.
The prerecorded speech by Sisi was aired on television channels to mark June 30, the day millions protested against then Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, prompting the army led by Sisi to topple him three days later.
"I pledge before God and their families, the state will get just and speedy retribution," said Sisi, referring to the killed policemen.
The bomb disposal experts -- a police colonel and lieutenant colonel -- were killed almost an hour apart as they attempted to defuse two bombs outside the Ittihadeya presidential palace in east Cairo.
An Islamist militant group, one of several that have spearheaded attacks since Morsi's ouster on July 3 last year, warned several days ago that it had planted bombs near the east Cairo palace.