With that information, it’s to no surprise that the Egyptian affiliate of the Islamic State that is situated in a nearby Sinai peninsula, directly across the Red Sea from where Friday’s hotel attack took place, are now focusing on threatening Egyptian resort towns like Hurghada.
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The attacks have largely focused on security forces in reprisal for a fierce crackdown on Morsi supporters.
“The three wounded tourists are suffering from knife wounds but their situation is under control for now”, Egyptian tourism minister Hicham Zazou said. Officials said officers had tightened checks across the area and shut off roads.
All three wounded tourists were taken to hospital, where one was treated and discharged, the statement said. “I thought I would bleed to death”, he said.
“Unfortunately there is an active global challenge with many incidents in recent days and months throughout the world”.
The significant tourism sector in Egypt has endangered. The Bella Vista is a four-star, multi-storey hotel with a large swimming pool at the end of the waterfront and is known to be frequented nearly exclusively by tourists from Northern Europe and Russian Federation.
Hurghada, however, has continued to attract some tourists. “No stone will be left unturned to ensure their security despite the global challenges we have witnessed in cities throughout the world”.
The so-called Islamic State (IS) group said it was behind the attack.
After the Russian plane tragedy, major tourist operators suspended packages to Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurghada, while Russia halted all flights to and from Egypt and Britain suspended air links with Sharm el-Sheikh.
SECURITY sources say shots have been fired at the entrance of a hotel at a beach resort in Egypt frequented by foreign tourists.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
“Bookings started to pick up again a couple of years after the Arab Spring”.
The latest attack happened on the day Egypt’s Coptic Orthodox Christians celebrated Christmas in the mainly Muslim country.
He went on: “British holidaymakers are very resilient”.
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Also on Thursday, unknown assailants blew up a main natural gas pipeline near Arish city of Egypt’s restive North Sinai province bordering the Palestinian Gaza Strip and Israel, a security source told Xinhua. Earlier reporting, however, cited security sources as saying that only two people were injured – a German citizen and a Danish citizen.
