Berlin on Saturday said the two women killed after being stabbed in an Egyptian beach resort of Hurghada were German nationals, Egyptian foreign ministry said in a statement.

"We can now sadly confirm that two German tourists died in the attack at Hurghada," the ministry said.

It added that employees of the German embassy in Cairo are now at the place of attack, and they are in constant communication with the Egyptian authorities.

"Berlin considered the crime that targeted foreign tourists is a criminal act that made our hearts full of sadness, anger and sorrow," the statement added.

Four other tourists were wounded when an assailant stabbed them at the beach resort in the Sinai Peninsula.

The interior ministry said in a statement that the attacker, who had swum ashore, was arrested and was being questioned.

Hurghada is one of Egypt's most popular beach resorts, especially for European tourists.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Friday's stabbing.

Local media assumed that the attack could be a terror act.

Egypt has been suffering waves of terror attacks after the military ousted former Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013 in response to mass protests against his one-year rule.

Earlier on Friday, five security personnel were killed when militants opened fire randomly on a checkpoint in the Egyptian province of Giza.

The Islamic State branch in North Sinai claimed responsibility for most of the attacks which have so far left hundreds dead in Egypt.

source: xinhua