Cairo (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Egyptian police have foiled a terrorist attack near the ancient temple of Karnak, Luxor, in the famous Valley of the Kings. The police report speaks of three men. One blew himself up, another was killed and another wounded. No tourist was hit, but two policemen and some people who worked in the bazaar were injured.
Luxor is the most visited tourist site in Egypt after the pyramids of Giza. This is the second attack in a week to target a tourist facility. Days ago, two gunmen on a motorcycle killed two tourist guards in Giza.
So far no one has claimed responsibility for the attack in Luxor. It is likely to further cripple the government's attempt to boost international tourism, which constitutes an important part of the national economy. The tourism industry is recovering from the stagnation caused by the Arab Spring protests in 2011 and the tensions related to Mohamed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood. Last year 10 million tourists visited Egypt, bringing with them a revenue of 6.6 million euro, and providing 19.3% of the reserves in foreign currency.
In 1997 Luxor was the scene of a violent attack by Islamists who opened fire on tourists visiting an ancient temple, killing 58 foreigners and four local guards.