TheCable

A suicide bomber blew up himself near the ancient Temple of Karnak (pictured) in the Egyptian city of Luxor on Wednesday, resulting in the death of three persons.

Two of the attackers are believed to have been shot dead by police, but a third passed through barricade and detonated an explosive device.

The assailants reportedly tried to storm a barricade at the temple, one of Egypt’s most popular tourist sites, before security forces engaged them.

A health ministry spokesman said four Egyptians were wounded in the attack and sources told Reuters that casualties included bazaar shop owners and two policemen.

A senior interior ministry security source cited by MENA, the state news agency, said no tourist sustained injury.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack but jihadist militants bent on toppling the government have killed hundreds of police and soldiers in the past, usually at checkpoints and barracks or police stations.

Last week, two members of Egypt’s tourism and antiquities police force were shot dead on a road near the pyramids at Giza.

In 1997, jihadist militants killed more than 60 people after attacking a group of foreign tourists visiting the Temple of Hatshepsut, across the River Nile from the city of Luxor near the Valley of the Kings.

Tourism is one of the top sources of income and foreign currency earnings for the Arab world’s most populous country.