A group of armed men attacked a motorcade of Egyptian prime minister late Sunday, and killed a passerby, state-run Al-Ahram online reported Monday.

The armed men in a vehicle intervened in Hesham Qandil's motorcade on his way home and one of them opened fire toward the escort vehicle, said the report.

A passerby was severely injured by the shooting and died later, the report said, adding that five suspects were arrested.

A security official said the suspects claimed that they had been unaware of Qandil's presence in the motorcade and did not shoot at his car.

The Egyptian cabinet said the armed attack was not politically motivated, but just a criminal act.

The prime minister "is fine, nothing hurts him," official news agency MENA quoted cabinet spokesman Alaa al-Hadidi as saying.