Suicide attack at popular Egyptian tourist site

LUXOR, Egypt -- A suicide bomber blew himself up on Wednesday at the ancient Egyptian temple of Karnak in Luxor, a southern city frequented by millions of tourists every year, security officials said.

A tour guide at Luxor, who had been in touch with security services at Karnak Temple, told CBS News' Alex Ortiz the only casualties reported were two attackers, including the bomber. A third suspect was wounded and captured, the guide said.

A Health Ministry official confirmed to CBS News that at least two were killed, and put the number of injured at five, after a preliminary assessment.

Wednesday's attack was the first to target world-famous attractions in Luxor since November 1997, when Islamic militants opened fire on tourists at the city's 3,400-year-old Hatshepsut Temple on the west bank of the Nile, killing 58.

But Ortiz reports that Wednesday's was the second attack on a major Egyptian tourist site in as many weeks. Two weeks ago gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire on a security checkpoint near the Giza Pyramids, killing two policemen.

Tourism is the lifeblood of Luxor, home to some of Egypt's most famous ancient temples and pharaonic tombs, including that of King Tutankhamun. The city has been hit hard by a downturn in foreign visitors during the years of unrest since Egypt's 2011 uprising.

Egypt attacks extremists on Sinai Peninsula

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Wednesday's attack, but it bore the hallmarks of Islamic militants who have been battling security forces in the strategic Sinai Peninsula for years. Extremists in Sinai have targeted tourism sites to try to deny the government a key source of revenue.

Last year, the Sinai-based insurgent group Ansar Beit al-Maqdis pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), which has destroyed famed archaeological sites in Syria and Iraq, viewing them as idolatrous.

The campaign of violence in Sinai accelerated and spread to other parts of Egypt following the 2013 military overthrow of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.

The attack on the temple, which sits on the east bank of the Nile, comes as tourism was beginning to show signs of recovery after a four-year slump following the uprising that toppled longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak.

f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.