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Egypt: Two Israeli tourists shot and killed in Alexandria

Reports say an Egyptian policeman opened fire on Israelis at Pompey's Pillar tourist site
Footage shows two people lying motionless on the ground, as police officers inspect the site in Alexandria, Egypt (Screengrab)

At least two Israelis and one Egyptian have been killed after a man opened fire at Israeli tourists in the Egyptian city of Alexandria on Sunday, according to the country's interior ministry.

Israeli and Arabic media reported that a policeman had targeted Israeli tourists at the site of Pompey's Pillar in the city.

The Israeli foreign ministry confirmed the deaths in a statement, adding that a third Israeli was wounded and is in moderate condition.

"This morning during a visit of Israeli tourists in Alexandria, Egypt, a local opened fire at them, murdering two Israeli citizens and their Egyptian guide," it said. 

Footage shared on social media showed two people lying motionless on the ground, one person wounded and police officers inspecting the site.

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Egyptian media said the attacker was detained.

Extra News, an Egyptian television affiliated with the state, quoted an unidentified source as saying that the policeman had fired "at random using his personal weapon".

Meanwhile, an Egyptian source told Reuters that the attacker reportedly lost control after being provoked and fired randomly on the tourist group.

The incident came a day after Palestinian resistance groups in the Gaza Strip launched a massive air, land and sea attack on Israel in the early morning.

Israel has vowed "mighty vengeance", and air strikes have pounded the besieged enclave since.

At least 313 Palestinians in Gaza and 350 Israelis have been killed, and hundreds wounded on both sides. Seven Palestinians in the occupied West Bank have also been killed.

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