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Saturday, 17 March, 2001, 12:32 GMT
Tourist stabbed in Egypt
Egypt is highly dependent on its tourism industry
A Japanese woman has been stabbed close to one of the three pyramids
at Giza - Egypt's top tourist site.
Police chased and opened fire on her assailant, an Egyptian man, who was wounded. Witnesses said the attack caused panic among tourists and large groups of Egyptian schoolchildren. Security forces immediately formed a ring around the pyramids plateau and evacuated visitors, but tourists were later allowed to return. It is the first such attack since the massacre carried out by Islamic militants in Luxor in 1997. Both the Japanese woman and her attacker were rushed to hospital. She is said to be in a stable condition, while he is in intensive care. Tourism fears There was no immediate information about the motive for the attack, but police said they had detained a second Egyptian at the scene and were questioning him.
The main Islamist groups have since then been observing a ceasefire.
But the sector remains highly sensitive to reports that visitors could be in danger. The latest incident comes just days after four German tourists were held for three days by an Egyptian tour guide in southern Egypt who had hoped to use them as a bargaining chip in a child custody battle. The four were released unharmed and the guide was arrested.
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