Advertisement

Bomb blast near Giza Pyramids in Egypt hits tourist bus, at least 4 dead

Click to play video: 'Roadside bomb kills at least 4, injures 11 on tourist bus in Egypt'
Roadside bomb kills at least 4, injures 11 on tourist bus in Egypt
WATCH: Two Vietnamese tourists were killed and 12 others were injured when a roadside bomb went off, hitting a tourist bus in an area near Egypt's Giza pyramids – Dec 28, 2018

CAIRO — A roadside bomb hit a tourist bus on Friday in an area near the Giza Pyramids, killing three Vietnamese tourists and an Egyptian guide, as well as wounding 11 others, Egypt’s Interior Ministry said in a statement.

It said the bus was traveling in the Marioutiyah area near the pyramids when the crude roadside bomb, concealed by a wall, went off. The wounded included 10 Vietnamese tourists and an Egyptian bus driver.

The bus was carrying a total of 14 Vietnamese tourists, it added, saying only two of them escaped unharmed.

Police inspect a scene of a bus blast in Giza, Egypt, Dec. 28, 2018. Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters

Egypt has battled Islamic militants for years in the Sinai Peninsula in an insurgency that has occasionally spilled over to the mainland, hitting minority Christians or tourists. However, this is the first attack to target foreign tourists in almost two years.

Story continues below advertisement

WATCH:Tourist bus cordoned off as Egypt police investigate deadly roadside bombing

Click to play video: 'Tourist bus cordoned off as Egypt police investigate deadly roadside bombing'
Tourist bus cordoned off as Egypt police investigate deadly roadside bombing

The attack takes place as Egypt’s vital tourism industry is showing signs of recovery after years in the doldrums because of the political turmoil and violence that followed a 2011 uprising that toppled former leader Hosni Mubarak.

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.

Get daily National news

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

READ MORE: Cairo shooting leaves at least 9 dead outside Coptic church

It will likely prompt authorities to further tighten security around churches and associated facilities ahead of the New year’s Eve celebrations and next month’s Christmas celebrations of the Coptic Orthodox Church, the dominant denomination among Egypt’s estimated 10 million Christians.

WATCH: Vietnamese tourists killed in blast in Egypt near Cairo pyramids

Click to play video: 'Vietnamese tourists killed in blast in Egypt near Cairo pyramids'
Vietnamese tourists killed in blast in Egypt near Cairo pyramids

Over the past two years, militant attacks against Christians in Egypt — usually targeting churches or buses carrying pilgrims to remote desert monasteries — have killed over a hundred people.

Story continues below advertisement

-With files from Reuters

Sponsored content

AdChoices