Suicide bomber attacks Egyptian tourist spot at Luxor

A suicide bomber blew himself up on Wednesday in an attack by three men on the ancient Egyptian temple of Karnak in Luxor, a southern city visited by millions of tourists every year.

Police exchanged fire with two gunmen shortly after the explision. Four people, including two policemen, were wounded in the exchange, according to the Egyptian health ministry. No tourists were killed or hurt.

The governor of Luxor, Mohammed Sayed Badr, told the AP news agency that the attack was "an attempt to break into the temple of Karnak".

Badr said the suicide bomber detonated his explosives after being shot by police when he began running towards the temple. One of his accomplices was killed in the exchange of fire that followed, he added, although this was not confirmed by police. The third attacker was wounded and reportedly arrested.

There were only a few tourists and Egyptians inside the temple at the time of the attack, security officials told AP.

The explosion left large parts of the temple's car park covered with debris.

Luxor was last attacked in November 1997, when gunmen opened fire on tourists at the city's 3,400-year-old Hatshepsut temple on the west bank of the Nile, killing 58.