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Attack on tourists in Egypt leaves 71 dead
Shootings 'won't be the last,' militants say
November 18, 1997
Web posted at: 5:23 a.m. EDT (0523 GMT)LUXOR, Egypt (CNN) -- A group calling itself the Vanguards of Conquest has warned tourists against visiting Egypt and said Monday's attack on tourists in Egypt "won't be the last."
In a statement faxed to The Associated Press Tuesday, the group stopped short of claiming responsibility for the attack, but said it was against visitors who did not heed "earlier warnings" about coming to Egypt.
On Monday, six gunmen disguised as police emerged from nearby cliffs and fired randomly at tourists visiting Luxor's Temple of Hatshepsut, the Egyptian Information Ministry said. The Vanguards group is a revival of the Jihad organization which killed president Anwar Sadat in 1981.
A L S O :
Detailed map of Luxor, Egypt
"They started shooting everyone -- Egyptians, foreigners, children," ticket-taker Ahmed Gassem said. "They were like madmen. Anyone moving they shot."
The ministry said that 70 people were killed: 60 tourists, two police, two Egyptians, and all six attackers. The Middle East News Agency said another woman died in surgery later. Another 24 people were wounded, eight of them critically, the ministry said.
Eyewitness Matt Moyer describes the scene Moving out of the line of fire...
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Sequence of events
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(320 K / 24 sec. audio)Islamic militants, seeking to topple President Hosni Mubarak's secular government, have reportedly targeted popular destinations in an effort to destroy Egypt's crucial tourism industry and destabilize the government.
"Our mujahideen (holy fighters) will continue their work as long as the Egyptian regime is carrying on with torturing and killing the sons of the Islamic movement," said the statement, adding that tourism revenues were used against the Islamists.
Monday's attack on tourists, described as the deadliest ever, was the first in Luxor itself. The city, 315 miles south of Cairo, contains several historic sites, including the tomb of King Tutankhamun.
The information ministry said that among those killed were Japanese, German, Swiss and Egyptian citizens. Those wounded were said to be from Japan, Germany, Switzerland and France. Identification was made difficult because not all visitors to the site were carrying identification papers, police said.
Emergency teams flew the wounded to hospitals in Cairo.
Germany condemns attack
Reaction to the deadly shooting was swift.
"I condemn this repugnant attack by misguided fanatics in the strongest terms," said German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel. "Terror must never be allowed as a means for political confrontation."
The Luxor incident came two months after nine German tourists and an Egyptian driver were killed when a tour bus was firebombed outside the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. The authorities at the time said the attack was carried out by deranged criminals and was not politically motivated.
French President Jacques Chirac sent his condolences to Mubarak shortly after Monday's attack.
"Having heard the news of the terrible attack that just took place in Luxor, I would like to express my sympathy," he said and also expressed solidarity with Egypt in dealing with the tragedy.
Attack targets key industry
Tourism is a key industry for Egypt and observers say that the deadly shooting will likely have a negative effect on that industry.
Several Swiss travel agents said shortly after the incident they were planning to evacuate their customers from Egypt.
"Many tourists want to come home and we are organizing flights for tonight (Monday) or tomorrow," said a spokesman of one of Switzerland's three leading travel agencies, from Geneva.
A L S O :
List of fatal attacks on visitors in Egypt since 1992
Muslim extremists have repeatedly targeted tourist spots in recent years in an attempt to hurt the industry and destabilize the government.
Prior to Monday, attacks by Muslim militants had killed 34 international tourists in the past five years. Overall, about 1,100 people have been killed since 1992, when the extremists launched their campaign aimed at ousting Mubarak.
Reporter Alphonso Van Marsh, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
Related stories:
- Dozens dead in Egyptian tourist attack - November 17, 1997
- More than 60 dead in Egyptian tourist attack - November 17, 1997
- Egyptian bus assailants sentenced to death - October 30, 1997
- Tourists return to Egyptian sites after attack - September 19, 1997
- Deadly Cairo attack caught on tape - September 19, 1997
- Terrorists kill 9 tourists in Cairo attack - September 18, 1997
Related sites:
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- The Temple of Deir el Bahari
- Egypt State Information Service
- Egypt - Consular Information Sheet - U.S. State Department
- Arabic News .com Front Page for Arab News
- Egyptian Ministry of Tourism
- The Egyptian Presidency
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