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Egyptian police foiled a bomb attack by three militants on Wednesday at Karnak Temple in Luxor, one of Egypt’s most popular tourist attractions. Photo: EPA

CAIRO—Egyptian police on Wednesday foiled a bomb attack against a bus carrying foreign tourists in the southern city of Luxor, one of the country’s most famous historic sites, officials said.

Two of the assailants were killed and one was wounded in the attack near the ancient Karnak Temple on the banks of the Nile, the Interior Ministry said. A Health Ministry official put the toll of wounded at five but declined to specify whether that number included attackers.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the assault, but it was among the first to directly target foreign tourists since Egypt’s military deposed

Egypt’s first freely elected president, in a coup two years ago.

Militant groups have regularly targeted Egypt’s military and police with attacks since former military chief

succeeded Mr. Morsi, and tens of thousands of suspected supporters of the former president’s Muslim Brotherhood have been arrested and more than a thousand killed in violent protests. Still, the pillars of the country’s vital tourist sector have been spared violence.

Wednesday’s attack raises concern that Islamist extremists will resort to past methods of targeting tourist sites to maximize global exposure. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Egyptian archaeological sites, beach resorts and high-end hotels were scenes of massive terrorist attacks.

Wednesday’s assault was the first apparent terrorist attack in Luxor since 1997, when Islamist militants shot 62 people dead at the city’s Hatshepsut Temple.

A bazaar that was affected by a foiled suicide attack in Luxor, Egypt.

That attack was thought to have been carried out by Al Gama’a Al Islamiya, a forerunner of al Qaeda, in an effort to damage Egypt’s lucrative tourism industry. Luxor, Egypt’s Pharaonic-era capital, hosts millions of tourists each year.

Egypt’s tourist trade cratered in the aftermath of widespread protests that removed dictator

from power in 2011, ushering in a period of political unrest.

But since Mr. Sisi was elected president in 2014 and began a sweeping crackdown of Mr. Morsi’s Islamist allies, Egypt’s tourism industry has made a cautious recovery.

Some 14.7 million tourists visited Egypt in the year before the anti-Mubarak uprisings, according to official figures.

In 2014, arrivals dropped to 9.5 million, a major loss for an industry that once contributed more than 10% of Egypt’s economic output and nearly 20% of its foreign currency.

The assailants in Wednesday’s attack used guns and explosives to try to breach security barriers around the temple before security forces intervened to stop them, according to a statement from the Ministry of Interior.

One of the militants died during the shootout when he detonated a suicide bomb. Police killed another attacker with a bullet to the head, the statement said.

It added that weapons, ammunition and incendiary devices were found with the assailants.

Interior ministry officials said they had targeted a bus carrying foreign tourists.

Photos of the blast area posted to the Internet showed debris strewed across a parking lot that had been cordoned off by police.

Contrary to earlier reports by Egypt’s Ministry of Health, no security forces were injured in the brief shootout, but one Egyptian temple employee was taken to the hospital.

A file photo of a tourist having her picture taken at the ruins of the Karnak Temple in Luxor, Egypt.

Egypt is not a good place for a vacation, the country is extremely dangerous with no regard for human life. Almost as bad as Compton or Inner city Chicago.

Why do these terrorists consider the destruction of ancient monuments is normal? Are they really convinced they are supreme and able to do what they want? Why did An Islamist preacher from Kuwait has issued a "fatwa," calling on Islamic State militants to destroy Egypt\'s Sphinx and pyramids? Who told them it\'s heresy? Ancient towns have survived for ages! And neither Allah, no early Muslims destroyed them? Why have they become intended to do it now? 

They tell it\'s their religious duty! But no destruction will remove its idolatrous powers! How couldn\'t they realize that? 

@Georg Missen  According to the article they weren\'t trying to destroy the temples they were trying to kill tourists. It was  a copycat strike similar to the one mentioned in the article back in 1997 when several busloads of German tourists, if my memory hasn\'t failed me, were wiped out.

@Georg Missen They don\'t do anything because its "normal". It is the shock factor they are after. The more despicable they can be the better is. It seems to work for them. The young western Muslims are responding and getting involved. The Egyptian cultural treasures must be extremely appealing to them. They can say they represent infidels from ancient times. Think of the targets in Israel--especially Jerusalem. We know they have said they want to harm the Vatican. But Our president will not even admit that they are Muslim extremists. This is not going to end and the suffering will not stop at the Tigress or Nile rivers. 

@Georg Missen To the ISIS Muslim worldview, the idol itself has demonic power.  Destroying it destroys that power, and demonstrates the victory of Allah over the demon.

Looks like actions of ISIS on the Middle East. ISIS is already destroying world cultural heritage on the middle East. Or they sell heritage abroad to sponsor their activity and destroy fakes for show. Boko Haram from is terrorizing Africa. May be they are responsible. Have you heard that Boko Haram has joined forces of ISIS?

One of the great pyramids of Giza has an enormous gash in the side of it from when, in the 12th century, Saladin\'s son tried to have the pyramids demolished in the name is Islam.  Thankfully, the endeavor proved futile as it was far too expensive an operation and the technology of the time wasn\'t helpful.

In the modern era, with explosives and heavy equipment, we should have every expectation that they would raze thousands of years of history to the ground if given a chance.

The Muslim world has some of the world\'s greatest wonders, almost all built before the advent of Islam.  It seems enough of these people want to live in a cultural wasteland to destroy everything.  Al Sisi was right about need for reform - but the quietly pacifist peaceful always die to make room for men who shout.    

@Matthew Auman  I think that the failure of the Islamic culture is what infuriates them the most and drives them to attack.

If it was not for the world around them they would all still be living in tents and riding camels and horses. They are not stupid - they can see that but they look back to the Koran for reasons to attack others.

 p.s.  Good job Egyptian police - you may have saved 100\'s of lives. 

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