Suicide bomber attacks ancient Egyptian temple

On Wednesday, a suicide bomber in Luxor, Egypt, blew himself up near the ancient temple of Karnak.

Following the explosion, police killed two people suspected to be Islamic militants, who had arrived at the temple with the bomber, The Associated Press reports. Four people, including two policemen, were wounded in the attack, but no tourists were harmed, officials told AP.

Mohammed Sayed Badr, Luxor's governor, told AP that the attack was "an attempt to break into the temple." The attack marks the first target of Luxor's attractions since November 1997, when Islamic militants attacked the 3,400-year-old Hatshepsut Temple and killed 58 people. Millions of tourists visit Luxor, the home of King Tutankhamun's tomb, every year.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

No group immediately claimed responsibility for Wednesday's attack, but AP notes that it "bore the hallmarks of Islamic militants." The attack may have been an effort to discourage tourists from visiting the area and to reduce the government's income.