EGYPTIAN POLICE KILLED 40 suspects in a crackdown today after a roadside bomb hit a tour bus claiming the lives of three Vietnamese holidaymakers and an Egyptian guide.

Thirty alleged “terrorists” were killed in separate raids in Giza governorate, home to Egypt’s famed pyramids and the scene of yesterday’s deadly bombing, while 10 others were killed in North Sinai, the interior ministry said without directly linking them to the attack.

It said authorities had received information the suspects were preparing a spate of attacks “targeting state institutions, particularly economic ones, as well as tourism, armed forces, police and Christian places of worship”.

A security source said the raids took place early this morning, hours after yesterday’s roadside bombing which officials said hit a tour bus in the Al-Haram district near the Giza pyramids killing the three Vietnamese holidaymakers and their Egyptian guide.

Eleven other tourists from Vietnam and an Egyptian bus driver were wounded, the public prosecutor’s office said.

Saigon Tourist, the company that organised the trip, said the tourists were “on their way to a restaurant for dinner” when the bomb exploded.

Company officials were heading to Cairo on Saturday and plans were made to allow some relatives of the victims to also fly to Egypt.

One of them was Nguyen Nguyen Vu whose sister Nguyen Thuy Quynh, 56, died in the bombing, while her husband, Le Duc Minh, was wounded.

Police at the scene of last night's bomb attack. Source: DPA/PA Images

The couple, both aged 56, were in the seafood business, Quynh’s younger brother said.

“We were all very shocked… My sister and her husband travel quite a lot and they are quite experienced in travelling abroad,” Vu told AFP.

He said he was applying for a visa for Egypt and hoped to travel on Saturday. “Our wish is that we could bring my sister back home.”

Vietnam’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang thanked Egyptians who were caring for the survivors. She said in a statement:

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bombing, the first attack to target tourists since 2017.

Last night’s attack was the latest blow to Egypt’s vital tourism industry, which has been reeling from turmoil set off by the 2011 uprising that forced veteran president Hosni Mubarak from power.

While tourism has picked up since 2011, the 8.2 million people who visited Egypt in 2017 are still a far cry from the 14.7 million who visited in the year before the uprising. </s> Three Vietnamese tourists and an Egyptian guide were killed and at least 10 others injured when a roadside bomb blast hit their tour bus on Friday less than 4 km (2.5 miles) from Egypt’s world-famous Giza pyramids, authorities said.

The bombing is the first deadly attack against foreign tourists in Egypt for over a year and comes as the tourism sector, a vital source of foreign currency revenue, recovers from a sharp drop in visitor numbers since the country’s 2011 uprising.

No immediate claim of responsibility was reported.

Islamist extremists, including militants linked to Islamic State, are active in Egypt and have targeted foreign visitors in the past.

At least nine Vietnamese tourists were wounded, as well as the Egyptian driver, according to official statements.

The tourists were heading to a sound and light show at the pyramids, which they had visited earlier in the day, said Lan Le, 41, who was also aboard the bus but unhurt.

“We were going to the sound and light show and then suddenly we heard a bomb. It was terrible, people screaming,” she told Reuters, speaking at Al Haram hospital, where the injured were taken. “I don’t remember anything after.”

Egypt’s interior ministry said the bus was hit by an explosion from an improvised device hidden near a wall at around 6.15 p.m. (1615 GMT).

About two hours later, the vehicle could be seen behind a police cordon with one of its sides badly damaged and the windows blown out, a Reuters reporter said.

Dozens of police, military and firefighters were at the site, on a narrow side street close to the ring road, where traffic was moving normally.

Shortly afterward, workers brought a pick-up truck to tow the bus away.

An investigator at the scene said the device had likely been planted near the wall.

The interior ministry confirmed the death of two of the tourists, and the state prosecutor’s office later said a third had died. In total, 14 Vietnamese tourists had been travelling on the bus, it said.

Vietnam called on Egypt to find those behind the attack.

“Vietnam is extremely angered by and strongly condemns this act of terrorism that killed and injured innocent Vietnamese people,” foreign ministry spokeswoman, Le Thi Thu Hang, said in a statement.

“Vietnam requests that Egypt promptly launch an investigation into the case and track down those responsible.”

Egypt’s prime minister, Mostafa Madbouly, told media from Al Haram hospital that the bus had taken an unexpected route.

“The bus deviated from the route secured by the security forces,” Madbouly told Extra News channel, an assertion also made by the owner of the company that organised the bus tour.

“We have been in contact with the embassy of Vietnam to contain the impact of the incident, and what is important now is to take care of the injured,” the prime minister said.

The bus driver later told media he had not deviated from the route.

Egypt’s army and police launched a major campaign against militant groups in February, targeting the Sinai Peninsula as well as southern areas and the border with Libya.

The government says fighting Islamist militants is a priority as it works to restore stability after the years of turmoil that followed the “Arab Spring” protests of 2011.

Those events and the bombing of a Russian airliner shortly after it took off from Sharm el Sheikh in 2015 caused tourist numbers to plunge.

The last deadly attack on foreign tourists in Egypt was in July 2017, when two Germans were stabbed to death in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada. </s> Egyptian security forces killed 40 militants in two operations after four people died in a roadside bomb that struck a tour bus in Greater Cairo on Friday.

The militants were planning attacks against churches, state institutions, economic interests, the armed forces and tourist sites, the Ministry of Interior said in a statement on Saturday. The operations took place in northern Sinai and Giza.

Three Vietnamese nationals and an Egyptian tour guide were killed in the bombing attack on Friday, the state-run Ahram Gate reported, citing a statement from the country’s Public Prosecutor Nabil Sadeq. </s> Three Vietnamese tourists and an Egyptian guide were killed and 11 others injured when a bomb blast hit their bus on Friday less than four km from Egypt's world famous Giza pyramids, authorities said.

The blast is the first deadly attack against foreign tourists in Egypt for more than a year and comes as the tourism sector, a vital source of foreign currency revenue, was recovering from a sharp drop in visitor numbers since the country's 2011 uprising.

No immediate claim of responsibility was reported. Islamist extremists including some linked to Islamic State are active in Egypt and have targeted foreign visitors in the past.

Nine of the injured were Vietnamese tourists, and one was the Egyptian driver, according to official statements.

The interior ministry said the bus was hit by an explosion from an improvised device hidden near a wall on Marioutiya street at around 1815 (1615 GMT).

About two hours later the vehicle could be seen behind a police cordon with one of its sides badly damaged and the windows blown out, a Reuters reporter said.

Dozens of police, military and firefighters were at the site, on a narrow sidestreet close to the ring road, where traffic was moving normally.

Shortly afterwards, workers brought a pick-up truck to tow the bus away.

An investigator at the scene said the device had likely been planted near the wall.

The injured were taken to the nearby Al Haram hospital, where Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly told local TV that the guide had died from his injuries.

"The bus deviated from the route secured by the security forces," Madbouly told Extra News TV.

"We have been in contact with the embassy of Vietnam to contain the impact of the incident, and what is important now is to take care of the injured," he said.

The interior ministry confirmed the death of two of the tourists, and the state prosecutors office later said a third had died. In total, 14 Vietnamese tourists had been traveling on the bus, it said.

Egypt's army and police launched a major campaign against militant groups in February, targeting the Sinai Peninsula as well as southern areas and the border with Libya.

The government says fighting Islamist militants is a priority as it works to restore stability after the years of turmoil that followed the "Arab Spring" protests of 2011.

Those events and the bombing of a Russian airliner shortly after it took off from Sharm el Sheikh in 2015 caused tourist numbers to plunge.

The last deadly attack on foreign tourists in Egypt was in July 2017, when two Germans were stabbed to death in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada. </s> CAIRO: Egyptian security forces have killed 40 suspected militants in three separate incidents in North Sinai and Giza, the ministry of interior said on Saturday (Dec 29), a day after a deadly bombing on a Vietnamese tourist bus in Giza killed four people.

The ministry did not say whether the suspected militants were connected to Friday's attack, but said its forces killed 30 people during raids on their hideouts in Giza where it said "terrorist elements" were planning a series of attacks targeting state institutions and the tourism industry.

Security forces also killed 10 suspected militants in North Sinai, where the country is fighting an insurgency led by Islamic State.

State news agency MENA said that the suspects were killed in a gun battle.

READ: Three Vietnamese tourists and one Egyptian killed, 10 injured in bus blast in Giza, Egypt

The ministry did not give any details about the suspects' identity or whether there had been any casualties or injuries among the security forces. The statement said the three raids took place simultaneously.

The ministry published photos of bloodied bodies with their faces concealed and assault rifles and shotguns lying on the floor beside them.

Three Vietnamese tourists and an Egyptian guide were killed and at least 10 others injured when a roadside bomb blast hit their tour bus on Friday less than 4km from Egypt's world-famous Giza pyramids.

Egypt's military and police launched a major campaign against militant groups in February, targeting the Sinai Peninsula as well as southern areas and the border with Libya.

The government says fighting Islamist militants is a priority as it works to restore stability after the years of turmoil that followed the "Arab Spring" protests of 2011. </s> Forty suspected militants have been killed by Egyptian security forces a day after a deadly roadside bomb hit a tourist bus near the Giza Pyramids.

The suspects were killed in three separate incidents in North Sinai and Giza, the ministry of interior said on Saturday, but did not say if they were connected to Friday's bombing.

State news agency MENA said the suspects were killed in a gun battle.

Friday's attack killed three Vietnamese tourists and their Egyptian guide.

The bus was traveling in the Marioutiyah area near the pyramids when the crude roadside bomb, concealed by a wall, went off. The blast wounded 11 other Vietnamese tourists as well as the Egyptian driver.

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.

The attack took place as Egypt's tourism industry showed 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.

Over the past two years, militant attacks against Christians in Egypt, usually targeting churches or buses carrying pilgrims to remote desert monasteries, have killed more than 100 people. </s> CAIRO (Reuters) - Three Vietnamese tourists and an Egyptian guide were killed and at least 10 others injured when a bomb blast hit their bus on Friday less than four km (2.5 miles) from Egypt’s world famous Giza pyramids, authorities said.

The blast is the first deadly attack against foreign tourists in Egypt for more than a year and comes as the tourism sector, a vital source of foreign currency revenue, recovers from a sharp drop in visitor numbers since the country’s 2011 uprising.

No immediate claim of responsibility was reported. Islamist extremists including some linked to Islamic State are active in Egypt and have targeted foreign visitors in the past.

At least nine Vietnamese tourists were injured, as well as the Egyptian driver, according to official statements.

The tourists were heading to a sound and light show at the pyramids, which they had also visited earlier in the day, said Lan Le, 41, who was in the bus but unhurt.

“We were going to the sound and light show and then suddenly we heard a bomb. It was terrible, people screaming,” she told Reuters, speaking at Al Haram hospital, where the injured were taken. “I don’t remember anything after.”

The interior ministry said the bus was hit by an explosion from an improvised device hidden near a wall on Marioutiya street at around 1815 (1615 GMT).

About two hours later the vehicle could be seen behind a police cordon with one of its sides badly damaged and the windows blown out, a Reuters reporter said.

Dozens of police, military and firefighters were at the site, on a narrow sidestreet close to the ring road, where traffic was moving normally.

Shortly afterwards, workers brought a pick-up truck to tow the bus away.

An investigator at the scene said the device had likely been planted near the wall.

The interior ministry confirmed the death of two of the tourists, and the state prosecutor’s office later said a third had died. In total, 14 Vietnamese tourists had been traveling on the bus, it said.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly told local TV from Al Haram hospital that the guide had died from his injuries.

“The bus deviated from the route secured by the security forces,” Madbouly told Extra News TV.

“We have been in contact with the embassy of Vietnam to contain the impact of the incident, and what is important now is to take care of the injured,” he said.

The bus driver later told local media he had followed a standard tourist bus route.

Egypt’s army and police launched a major campaign against militant groups in February, targeting the Sinai Peninsula as well as southern areas and the border with Libya.

The government says fighting Islamist militants is a priority as it works to restore stability after the years of turmoil that followed the “Arab Spring” protests of 2011.

Those events and the bombing of a Russian airliner shortly after it took off from Sharm el Sheikh in 2015 caused tourist numbers to plunge.

The last deadly attack on foreign tourists in Egypt was in July 2017, when two Germans were stabbed to death in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada. </s> A roadside bomb that hit a bus with tourists, killing four people in it, was a homemade device.

The incident, close to the Giza pyramids, claimed the lives of three Vietnamese tourists and an Egyptian tour guide.

The blast also wounded 11 other Vietnamese tourists as well as the Egyptian driver. </s> CAIRO, Dec 29 — Egyptian security forces have killed 40 suspected militants in three separate incidents in North Sinai and Giza, the ministry of interior said today, a day after a deadly bombing on a Vietnamese tourist bus in Giza killed four people.

The ministry did not say whether the suspected militants were connected to Friday's attack, but said its forces killed 30 people during raids on their hideouts in Giza where it said "terrorist elements" were planning a series of attacks targeting state institutions and the tourism industry.

Security forces also killed 10 suspected militants in North Sinai, where the country is fighting an insurgency led by Islamic State.

State news agency MENA said that the suspects were killed in a gun battle.

The ministry did not give any details about the suspects' identity or whether there had been any casualties or injuries among the security forces. The statement said the three raids took place simultaneously.

The ministry published photos of bloodied bodies with their faces concealed and assault rifles and shotguns lying on the floor beside them.

Three Vietnamese tourists and an Egyptian guide were killed and at least 10 others injured when a roadside bomb blast hit their tour bus on Friday less than 4 km (2.5 miles) from Egypt's world-famous Giza pyramids.

Egypt's military and police launched a major campaign against militant groups in February, targeting the Sinai Peninsula as well as southern areas and the border with Libya.

The government says fighting Islamist militants is a priority as it works to restore stability after the years of turmoil that followed the "Arab Spring" protests of 2011. — Reuters
In response to a roadside bombing that killed three Vietnamese tourists and an Egyptian tour guide the previous day, Egyptian police kill 40 suspected militants.