Three powerful bombs hit the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh early Saturday, killing at least 83 and wounding over 150 others, including foreigners.

The death toll is expected to rise since 23 injured are in critical condition, security sources said.

Saturday's bombings targeting hotels and bazaars occurred successively right after 1:00 a.m. (2200 GMT Friday) when holiday makers were still out in bars and markets in the Red Sea resort frequented by tourists from Europe and Gulf countries in the summer holiday season.

One car bomb exploded in front of the Ghazala Hotel in Naama Bay, where most of the resort's luxury hotels are located. The whole front part of the hotel was torn apart, windows shattered completely.

Another car bomb exploded in an old market in the heart of Sharm el-Sheikh, about 6 km from Naama Bay.

A third explosion hit a park at the entrance to the Naama Bay and turned cars parked there into skeleton-like metal debris. An al-Qaida-linked group has claimed responsibility for the attacks in a statement posted on an Islamic website Saturday.

The group, calling itself the al-Qaida organization in the Levant and Egypt, said in the statement that "holy warriors targeted the Ghazala Gardens hotel and the Old Market in Sharm el-Sheikh."

The bombings have been the deadliest since 58 tourists were killed by Islamic extremists in the historic site of Luxor in southern Egypt in 1997.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak inspected the bombing sites Saturday and was briefed by Interior Minister Habib el Adli, Health Minister Mohamed Awad Tag Eddin and Governor of South Sinai Mustafa Afifi on circumstances of the explosions and measures that have been taken.

Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Nazef also toured the sites and visited the injured at hospitals earlier in the day.

Adli said that the attacks might be linked to the Taba blasts on Oct. 7, 2004, which killed 34 people and wounded over 100, most of them Israelis.

Sharm el-Sheikh, famed for everyday sunshine, beautiful blue waters and coral reefs, attracts tourists from all over the world and pulls in millions of dollars for Egyptian economy.

World leaders have condemned the Sharm el-Sheikh attacks and vowed to support the Egyptian government in its fight against terrorism.

(Xinhua News Agency July 24, 2005)