Deadly bomb strikes tourist bus near Egypt's Giza pyramids

Egyptian security officials say a roadside bomb has hit a tourist bus in an area near the Giza Pyramids, killing at least two people and wounding 10 others.

The officials said the bus was travelling Friday in the Marioutiyah area near the pyramids when the roadside bomb went off.

Two Vietnamese tourists were killed and 10 others wounded when the roadside bomb exploded near their bus as it travelled close to the Giza pyramids in Cairo, Egypt's interior ministry said.

A statement said there were 14 tourists from Vietnam on the bus when the homemade device exploded at 6:15 pm (1645 GMT) and that the bus driver and the tour guide, both Egyptian, were also wounded in the explosion.

The improvised explosive device was placed near a wall along the Mariyutiya Street in the Haram district near the Giza Pyramids, the statement said.

Security services were immediately dispatched to the area and have opened an investigation into the explosion, the ministry added without giving further details.

Egypt has battled Islamic militants for years in the Sinai Peninsula in an insurgency that has occasionally spilt over to the mainland, hitting minority Christians or tourists.

However, this is the first attack to target foreign tourists in almost two years.

Agencies contributed to this report.