Explosion targets tourist bus near Giza pyramids

19 May, 2019 12:58 / Updated 5 years ago

An explosion targeting a tourist bus near a museum in the Giza pyramid complex has left at least 16 people injured, according to local authorities. There are no reports of deaths.

Most of those hurt are foreign tourists, Reuters reported. The explosive device went off close to the Grand Egyptian Museum fence as the bus was passing. The museum, still under construction, is set to be the largest archaeological museum in the world when it opens in 2020. It is located approximately two kilometers from the Giza pyramids.

Pictures posted on social media showed a bus with some of its windows blown out or shattered, and debris in the road next to a low wall with a hole in it.

The blast marks the second attack on tourists in Egypt in just six months. In December, three Vietnamese tourists and a local tour guide were killed after their bus was targeted by a roadside bomb near the Giza pyramids.

Egypt has struggled to combat Islamic terrorists operating within its borders. A number of high profile terrorist attacks targeting Coptic Christians prompted the government to launch anti-terror operations across the country. In December, Egyptian security forces reportedly killed dozens of militants suspected of planning attacks during Christmas and New Year celebrations.

The blast marks the second attack on tourists in Egypt in just six months. In December, three Vietnamese tourists and a local tour guide were killed after their bus was targeted by a roadside bomb near the Giza pyramids.

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