(CNN) Two German women were killed in a knife attack in the Egyptian Red Sea town of Hurghada, Germany's Foreign Ministry confirmed on Saturday.

The women were among six female tourists attacked Friday by an assailant with a knife in a beach resort area of the town, Egypt's Interior Ministry said.

"Sadly we now have certainty that two German tourists were killed in the attack in Hurghada," a press officer for the German Foreign Ministry told CNN.

"In these dark hours, our condolences go out to their families and friends. Staff at the German Embassy in Cairo are on the ground in Hurghada and in contact with the Egyptian authorities."

The attacker had targeted foreign tourists, the press officer said. "After everything we know, this act was supposed to hit foreign tourists -- a particularly devious and criminal act that leaves us sad and appalled."

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