Earlier today three terrorists, one of which was a suicide bomber, were stopped at the entrance to the Temple of Karnak in Luxor, Egypt. The reports are extremely preliminary at this point. Apparently two of the three were killed by guards before they could enter the site, which is a popular stop for tourists from around the world. The suicide bomber’s explosive device was detonated, but at this point it is unknown whether by the bomber himself or by the guards during the attempt to stop them. It is also unknown whether any bystanders were injured, although there is no report that anyone other than the terrorists were killed. It is also unknown who is behind this attack, although it is not the first time a prominent tourist site in Egypt was targeted by terrorists.
The Egyptian economy is heavily dependent upon tourism. As a result of the uprising in 2011, and the subsequent unrest, the country has seen tourism plummet, damaging the economy. And even though guards were able to stop the terrorists at the Temple of Karnak, reports like this will only hurt tourism, and in return, the economy even more.
Perhaps this is the goal of this particular group of terrorists. A weak economy could further undermine stability in Egypt. And as we’ve seen throughout history, an unstable country is vulnerable to being taken over by those with extremist ideology.
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