Over a dozen injured, one killed in bomb blast in Egypt

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Sunday, February 22, 2009

The marketplace in 2006.
Image: Celio Maielo.

At least 20 people have been injured and one has been killed in a bomb blast targeting 'Western tourists' in Cairo, Egypt. The Egyptian Health Ministry reported that a 17-year-old French girl was killed and 13 French, one German and three Saudis tourists, as well as four Egyptians, have been wounded.

The blast occurred at approximately 6:20 p.m. local time inside a cafe near a mosque in the Khan el-Khalili marketplace which is popular with foreign tourists. Authorities say the bomb was placed under a bench.

A second bomb was found, but was defused before it exploded.

Egyptian medical officials said they expect several of the injured to be released from hospital treatment on Monday.

The bombing has caused concern for Cairo authorities, who saw the tourist industry devastated by bombings and shootings by Islamic militants in the 1990s.

The same marketplace was the target of a previous suicide attack in 2005 in which three people were killed and 18 injured. The Khan el-Khalili marketplace is one of Cairo's biggest tourist attractions and has a history dating back to 1382.


Sources

Wikipedia Learn more about the Khan el-Khalili marketplace on Wikipedia.