By Rania Al-Malky and Mai Shams El-Din

CAIRO: Three masked assailants attacked outspoken presidential hopeful Abdel Moneim Abol Fotoh and his driver late Thursday on the Ring Road, his campaign team said on Friday.

Both were hospitalized but Abol Fotoh returned home on Friday morning.

The Islamist potential candidate and his driver were taken to hospital. While the driver remains there, Abol Fotoh left Friday morning.

The Islamist presidential hopeful was on his way back from a rally at the northern Shebine El-Koom city, the campaign media spokesman Ali Bahnasawy told Daily News Egypt.

A car cut them off and the three assailants, armed with automatic weapons, attacked the driver when the presidential hopeful intervened to save him. The assailants hit them with the butt of the machine guns.

The assailants then left them unconscious on the side of the road after taking off with the car. Both were eventually taken to the hospital after the driver managed to reach a campaign member.

Abol Fotoh, who had a mild concussion, refused to stay in the hospital for a recommended 24-hour observation and returned back home Friday morning where he is under medical supervision, according to his official Facebook page. The driver remains at the hospital.

Bahnasawy said that he is not sure whether the attack was a plot against the outspoken presidential hopeful. He said that two campaign members reported that they were asked about Abol Fotoh’s whereabouts and itinerary by two men who claimed to be police officers without showing their IDs.

Bahnasawy also noted that the campaign manager had reported the incident to the police immediately but until Friday morning, no action was taken. No police came to the hospital to initiate an investigation.

Bahnasawy only received one call from an interior ministry official who asked a general question.