2 assailants shot, at least 2 others wounded at Egyptian hotel

Egypt’s Tourism Minister Hisham Zaazou said on Saturday that the government will announce additional security measures to safeguard tourists after an attack in the Red Sea resort of Hurgada left three injured on Friday. A spokesman for Egypt’s health ministry, however, said that two Swedes were being treated after the attack.

They said security forces had killed the attacker wearing the suicide bomb, and that one of the injured was from Denmark and the other from Germany.

Police said they were Arab-Israeli tourists, and the assailants had targeted policemen outside the hotel and not the tourists. Although no terrorist group has formally claimed responsibility for the attack, according to eyewitnesses the terrorists were carrying the black Islamic State flag bearing white writing reproducing the Islamic creed, or Shahada, and shouting “Allah hu Akbbar”.

The resort area attracts many tourists, specifically local Egyptian tourists from Cairo, the Delta, and Upper Egypt, and has drawn favorable interest from European tourists due to their holiday packages, notably Italians and Germans.

Armed groups linked to ISIL have intensified their attacks after current President Abdul Fatah el-Sisi came to power following a coup almost two years ago.

Egypt is fighting a wave of armed attacks, which began in remote regions of the Sinai, but is increasingly focusing on targets previously considered safe such as the tourist resorts on the Red Sea.

In a post on Facebook shortly after the attack, Mr Olovsson said he was “lucky” to have deflected his attacker’s knife blows.

Egyptian officials said no-one was hurt in the attack, near Cairo.

Revenue from tourism is crucial for the Egyptian economy, but the sector has been hit hard by such attacks.

One was discharged and the other two were in a stable condition with minor injuries.

Norwegian Jon Torp told the VG paper of Norwary that at least 24 shots were heard by him as the attackers moved throughout the resort.

After the Russian plane tragedy, major tourist operators suspended packages to Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurghada, while Russia halted all flights to and from Egypt and Britain suspended air links with Sharm el-Sheikh.