Egypt's state news agency says three masked gunmen have attacked the car of the central bank governor, killing his bodyguard and stealing the vehicle. The bank chief was not in the car.

MENA says the bodyguard and the driver were on their way to pick up newly-appointed central bank chief Hesham Ramez on Wednesday when the assailants opened fire on the governor's car, killing the bodyguard and forcing the driver to pull over.

The gunmen then drove off in the car.

The carjacking appeared to be a random criminal act and not an attack against the governor.

Egypt has been hit by an unprecedented wave of violent crime, including armed robbery, kidnapping and car theft since President Hosni Mubarak's ouster two years ago.