A massacre of foreign tourists, most of…
November 1997 CE
A massacre of foreign tourists, most of them Japanese and American, visiting the Temple of Hatshepsut in Luxor, Egypt, in November 1997, claims 58 foreign and four Egyptian victims.
After gunning down tourist and Egyptian bystanders, the terrorists attempt to escape to the hills, but the pursuing security forces kill most of them.
According to other reports, however, they shot each other to avoid being captured by the authorities.
The Gama'at al-Islamiyya or Islamic Group (IG), a violent Egyptian fundamentalist organization, claims responsibility for the act, declaring its perpetration in the name of Islam and that their aim is to apply the Sharia and Islamic rule in Egypt.
The Egyptian government says that the number of perpetrators was six, all killed, but the Gama's Al Islameya claims that the number was 12 and 6 managed to escape.
An IG leaflet reportedly left at the Luxor massacre site claims that the attack was carried out as a gesture to Mustafa Hamza, an exiled IG leader suspected of having masterminded the assassination attempt on President Mubarak and believed to be in Pakistan.
US authorities will later attempt to demonstrate links between the IG and bin Laden.
Locations
People
Regions
