Egypt's presidential hopeful hurt in carjack

CAIRO - A potential presidential candidate in Egypt was injured by gunmen who robbed him of his car late on Thursday, the state media reported on Friday.

Abdel-Moneim Abul-Fotouh, a former senior member of the Muslim Brotherhood, was attacked with his driver by three gunmen at midnight on Cairo's Ring Road, as he was returning home from a rally in Minufiya, north of Cairo, official MENA news agency said.

One of the attackers hit Abul-Fotouh in the head with a rifle's butt, said the report, quoting Ali el-Bahnasawi, spokesman for the candidate. The gunmen then stole their car.

Abul-Fotouh suffered a concussion. He and his driver were sent to a hospital. Police are searching for the suspects.

Abul-Fotouh was dismissed from the Muslim Brotherhood after he announced his plan to run for the presidency last year. The Muslim Brotherhood said it would not nominate any presidential candidate.

The incident raised fresh concerns about the worsening security situation in Egypt, as carjackings, robberies and other crimes are on the increase after the unrest in early 2011.

Presidential nominations will start on March 10. The presidential vote will probably be held in early June, though no exact date has been set.

The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which took over power on Feb 11, 2011, has pledged to transfer power to an elected civilian government by June 30.