The Bleeding Temple Of Hatshepsut (The 1997 Luxor Massacre)

On November 17th 1997, it is alleged that six members of the al-Jama'a al-Islamiyya (an Egyptian militant group) entered the gates that lead to the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut located in Deir el-Bahari, an archaeological site and major tourist attraction across the Nile from Luxor, Egypt. After killing two of the guards located at the gates entrance, numerous survivors testified that men dressed as security personnel had the tourists trapped inside the temple. The killing went on systematically for 45 minutes, during which many bodies, especially of women, were mutilated with machetes. All of six men who carried out the carnage were either killed by security personnel or committed suicide by hand grenade in the hills. When it was over, 62 people were killed, with 26 surviving the attacks, the worst terrorist attack ever in Egypt. Exiled leaders of al-Jama'a al-Islamiyya were laier said to have attempted to undermine the organization's July 1997 "Nonviolence Initiative", to devastate the Egyptian economy and provoke the government into repression that would strengthen support for anti-government forces.