Egyptian Tourism Minister Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour expressed sorrow on Sunday over the death of a French tourist and the injury of a German in a drive-by shooting in Sharm el-Sheikh on Saturday.
The minister said in press statement that the tourists were caught up in random gunfire in the resort city’s Old Souq area, and that two Egyptians were also injured in the incident.
AFP quoted a police official as saying that a 42-year-old man died from gunshot wounds to the stomach and thigh when Bedouin gunmen opened fire to avenge a tribesman’s killing by police earlier the same day.
But the agency also quoted a military official as saying that the man got caught up in gunfire by attackers who were fleeing the area after a bank robbery.
Abdel Nour said the ministry immediately contacted the French and German embassies in Cairo to keep them updated in relation to the incident. He said the ministry will coordinate with both embassies to have the French tourist’s body taken back to France and for treatment of the injured German national.
Abdel Nour said security agents made great effort to apprehend three of the gunmen, who exchanged fire with police while fleeing the area, and are working to arrest the fourth.
The minister said he is in contact with Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim and South Sinai Governor Khaled Fouda to follow the developments of the case. He said Egypt's tourist cities have good security measures in place, especially Sharm el-Sheikh, and no tourists have suffered assault or problems of any other kind since the outbreak of the Egyptian revolution in January 2011.
