Fox News: Egypt VP Target of Murder Attempt, 2 Bodyguards Killed

A failed assassination attempt on Egypt's vice president, Omar Suleiman, in recent days left two of his bodyguards dead, sources told Fox News.

Such an attempt on the life of Suleiman would mark an alarming turn in the uprising against the regime of President Hosni Mubarak, who only recently named Suleiman as vice president in an effort to quell the unrest and possibly line up a successor, Fox News said.

A senior Obama administration official confirmed that the attack happened soon after Suleiman was appointed, on Jan. 29. The official described it as an organized attack on the VP’s motorcade.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs declined to address the assassination reports when asked earlier by Fox News.

"I'm not going to ... get into that question," Gibbs said.

The New York Times reported that Washington has been pushing proposals for Suleiman to head a transitional government.

But Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq has ruled out the possibility that Mubarak would transfer power to Suleiman.