CAIRO — A car packed with explosives being driven to carry out an attack collided with other vehicles and exploded in central Cairo, killing at least 20 people, the Interior Ministry said Monday, the deadliest attack in the Egyptian capital in over two years.

The blast went off Sunday night on a busy boulevard along the Nile River, setting other cars on fire and injuring at least 47 people. It damaged Egypt’s main cancer hospital nearby, shattering parts of the facade and some rooms inside, forcing the evacuation of dozens of patients.

Authorities had initially said the explosion was caused by a multivehicle accident. But later Monday, the Interior Ministry acknowledged that a car bomb was involved.

It accused a militant group known as Hasm, which has links to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, saying it was moving the car to carry out an attack elsewhere. The ministry did not say what the intended target was. The car had been stolen months ago in the Nile Delta, it said.

President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi called it a “terrorist incident” in a tweet, expressing condolences for the dead and vowed to “face and root out terrorism.”

The attack is the deadliest in Cairo since a bombing at a chapel adjacent to Egypt’s main Coptic Christian cathedral killed 30 people during Sunday Mass in December 2016. That attack was claimed by Egypt’s affiliate of the Islamic State group.

Smaller bombings, usually by roadside devices, have taken place more often, targeting security forces and in two cases tourists near the Pyramids.

India moves to revoke special status of Kashmir, unrest feared

NEW DELHI — India’s Hindu nationalist-led government moved Monday to revoke the special status of Muslim-majority Kashmir, cutting off communications and deploying thousands of troops in the restive Himalayan region amid fears the action could lead to uprisings there.

The order, which still needs the approval of the ruling party-controlled Parliament, would eliminate the Indian-administered state’s right to its own constitution and decision-making process for all matters except defense, communications and foreign affairs. It would also allow Indians from outside the region to permanently settle, buy land and hold local government jobs.

Government critics see the move as an attempt to dilute the demographics of Kashmir, which is predominantly Muslim, with Hindu settlers.

Sen. Rand Paul undergoes lung surgery stemming from assault

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Sen. Rand Paul said he underwent lung surgery in a procedure stemming from injuries suffered when a neighbor tackled him outside his home in 2017.

The Republican lawmaker tweeted that part of his lung damaged in the assault was removed during the weekend surgery in Tennessee.

Both of Kentucky’s senators are laid up with health issues during Congress’ August break.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell suffered a shoulder fracture Sunday in a fall and is recovering at home.

Paul was tackled by Rene Boucher in a dispute over lawn maintenance. Boucher pleaded guilty to assaulting a member of Congress. Paul sued and a jury awarded him more than $580,000 in damages and medical expenses.

Texas Rep. Marchant becomes 12th House Republican to retire

WASHINGTON — Republican Rep. Kenny Marchant said Monday he will not seek reelection to represent his Dallas-area district, leaving open a third Texas House seat heavily targeted by Democrats in 2020.

Marchant’s announcement comes days after Rep. Will Hurd, R-Texas, announced he would not seek reelection in a sprawling border district and less than a month after Rep. Pete Olson, R-Texas, declined to seek reelection in the Houston suburbs.

All three won reelection in 2018 by 5 percentage points or less — in Hurd’s case, by only a few hundred votes.

Overall, 12 House Republicans who were sworn into the 116th Congress in January will not return in 2021, compared with three House Democrats.

Putin urges talks with US after INF pact’s demise

MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that Russia would only deploy new intermediate-range missiles if the United States does and called for urgent arms control talks to prevent a chaotic arms race following the demise of a key nuclear pact.

Putin made his statements after the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty ended Friday, with the U.S. announcing its intention to test and deploy weapons previously banned by the accord signed in 1987.

Washington said it withdrew because of Russia’s alleged violations of the pact; Russia denies breaching the terms of the treaty.

Putin condemned the U.S. exit from the treaty “in a unilateral way and under a far-fetched reason,” saying that it “seriously exacerbated the situation in the world and raised fundamental risks for all.”

N. Korea fires projectiles twice into sea, S. Korea says

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea on Tuesday continued to ramp up its weapons demonstrations by firing unidentified projectiles twice into the sea while lashing out at the United States and South Korea for continuing their joint military exercises that the North says could derail fragile nuclear diplomacy.

South Korea’s military alerted reporters of the launches just minutes before an unidentified spokesperson of the North’s Foreign Ministry released a statement denouncing Washington and Seoul over the start of their joint exercises Monday.

Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said an unidentified number of projectiles were launched from an area near the North’s western coast and flew cross-country before landing in waters off the country’s eastern coast.

In Syria: The Syrian army said Monday it will resume its offensive against the northwestern Idlib province, the last opposition-held stronghold, accusing insurgents there of repeatedly violating a recent cease-fire agreement that went into effect late Thursday.

Opposition activists reported airstrikes had resumed in the southern parts of the enclave, which is located on the Turkish border.

Meanwhile, Turkish and Pentagon officials began a two-day set of talks in the Turkish capital, Ankara, about establishing a safe zone in northeastern Syria — where American forces are stationed — to address Ankara’s concerns about U.S.-allied Syrian Kurdish-led forces in that region.