Egypt police kill 40 suspected terrorists in Giza, North Sanai

Egypt’s Ministry of Interior announced on Saturday morning that it has killed 40 terrorists during raids on three terrorist hideouts in Giza and North Sinai.

The announcement comes hours after a tour bus carrying Vietnamese tourists was struck by an improvised explosive device in Giza, killing four people and injuring 11.

According to the statement by the Interior Ministry, the 30 terrorists were killed in two hideouts located in the Giza governorate and eleven were arrested. The two hideouts were located in Abou El Wafa neighbourhood and Masaken Abnaa El Giza.

In North Sinai, 10 terrorists were killed in El-Arish governorate.

It said authorities acted after receiving information the suspects were preparing a series of attacks against state and tourist institutions and churches.

“Information was received by the national security that a group of terrorists were planning to carry out a series of aggressive attacks targeting state institutions, particularly economic ones, as well as tourism, armed forces, police and Christian places of worship,” the statement said.

In Giza itself, two raids were carried out, the first killing 14 suspects and the second 16 suspects, while the rest were in the North Sinai capital El-Arish.

The statement added that police located a number of weapons and explosives at the hideouts.

The Ministry of Interior did not state whether any of the terrorists killed or arrested have been linked to the explosion on Friday evening that targeted a tour bus.

Early on Friday evening, a roadside bomb blast hit a tourist bus travelling near the Giza pyramids killing three Vietnamese holidaymakers and their Egyptian tour guide, officials said.

A statement by the public prosecutor's office said 11 other tourists from Vietnam and an Egyptian bus driver were wounded when the bomb exploded.

The improvised explosive device was placed near a wall along Mariyutiya Street in Al-Haram district near the Giza pyramids plateau, it said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

Egypt's vital tourism industry has been struggling to recover from terrorist attacks and domestic instability that have hit the country in recent years.