Suicide Bomber Injures 5 in Luxor Temple Attack

Five people were injured Wednesday when suicide bombers targeted a temple in Luxor, Egypt, but were stopped from entering by an alert security guard.

The incident took place Wednesday morning in front of the Karnak Temple in Luxor, when three gunmen in a car attempted to enter the temple's parking lot when they were stopped by a police officer.

When the police officer would not let the three suspects enter, one of the men detonated his suicide bomber explosive device, killing himself and injuring others. The second gunman was shot in the head while the third was injured from the blast.

Five people, including civilians, were injured by the subsequent explosion.

"The policeman who stopped the vehicle sustained minor injuries, but due to his heroic actions, many other potential victims were saved and thankfully no tourists were harmed," Tourism Minister Khaled Rami said in a statement Wednesday, as reported by CNN.

As The Washington Post reports, Luxor and other parts of Egypt thrive off of the international tourism industry, and such an attack could possibly frighten tourists from visiting.

"I am worried that there will be rumors about people dying and that will scare the tourists away,"Ahmed Mohamed, an Egyptian tour guide with Abu Simbel Tours, told the media outlet. "Things have been stable in Luxor for a long time."

The last terrorist attack in Luxor took place in 1997 when gunmen killed 67 victims.