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Sinai attacks: Deadly bombing hits Egypt tour bus | Sinai attacks: Deadly bombing hits Egypt tour bus |
(about 11 hours later) | |
A bomb attack on a tourist bus in the Sinai peninsula has killed three South Koreans and an Egyptian, officials say. | |
Fourteen South Koreans were also hurt in the attack, which came as the bus was preparing to cross into Israel. | |
A device was detonated either inside or close to the bus, but exact details are not clear. No-one has admitted carrying out the attack. | |
The Sinai peninsula has become increasingly lawless since President Hosni Mubarak was overthrown in 2011. | The Sinai peninsula has become increasingly lawless since President Hosni Mubarak was overthrown in 2011. |
'Beyond deplorable' | |
The bus was reported to be heading into Israel from St Catherine's monastery, a popular tourist destination near Mount Sinai, when it was attacked on Sunday. | |
South Korea's foreign ministry said on Monday that the bus was carrying 31 tourists, plus three tour guides - two Korean and one Egyptian. | |
Those who died were the two South Korean tour guides and another South Korean tourist, and the Egyptian driver, Yonhap news agency reported, citing the ministry. | |
Fourteen other South Koreans were taken to hospital. | |
The passengers were members of a church group on a 12-day tour of religious sites in Turkey, Egypt and Israel, the South Korean news agency said. | |
The exact cause of the blast is not clear. One report describes a young man throwing a device into the vehicle, another - citing South Korea's ambassador to Egypt - says the man boarded the bus. | |
"We strongly condemned the terror attack against the tour bus... It is beyond deplorable," South Korean foreign ministry official Cho Tai-young said in a statement. | |
South Korea would "actively co-operate" with the Egyptian government to find out who carried out the attack, he said. | |
Strategic shift | |
The frontier was closed after the attack. | The frontier was closed after the attack. |
Egypt's struggling tourist trade - which is a slim lifeline for the economy - looks set to be another casualty of the bombing, says the BBC's Orla Guerin in Cairo. | Egypt's struggling tourist trade - which is a slim lifeline for the economy - looks set to be another casualty of the bombing, says the BBC's Orla Guerin in Cairo. |
Tourism Minister Hisham Zaazou said he was "very disappointed" by the attack and hoped it was an isolated incident that would not be repeated. | Tourism Minister Hisham Zaazou said he was "very disappointed" by the attack and hoped it was an isolated incident that would not be repeated. |
A number of militant groups operate in Sinai, and Bedouin tribes live largely outside of the control of Cairo. | A number of militant groups operate in Sinai, and Bedouin tribes live largely outside of the control of Cairo. |
Attacks by Islamist militants have intensified since the army overthrew President Mohammed Morsi in July. | Attacks by Islamist militants have intensified since the army overthrew President Mohammed Morsi in July. |
Our correspondent says the bombing could signal a shift in strategy by al-Qaeda-inspired militants in Sinai, from attacks on the police and army, to softer targets. | Our correspondent says the bombing could signal a shift in strategy by al-Qaeda-inspired militants in Sinai, from attacks on the police and army, to softer targets. |
Mr Morsi appeared in court on Sunday to face charges of espionage and conspiring to commit acts of terror. | Mr Morsi appeared in court on Sunday to face charges of espionage and conspiring to commit acts of terror. |
The Islamist former leader is facing four separate trials, three of which have opened so far. |