Two Egyptian soldiers shot dead on Egypt-Israel-border

Two Egyptian soldiers were shot and killed Wednesday night in two separate incidents on Israel-Egypt border, and that both were killed by Bedouin smugglers.

According to Egyptian media reported that two Egyptian soldiers were killed after exchanging fire with a group of Bedouin suspected of being arms or drug smugglers, in Egyptian region near the border with Israel and Gaza strip.

For sure, that since the incident took place at the Israeli- Egyption borders then the Israeli army will have a different story,according to haaretz website, Israeli forces identified a group of people who infiltrated into Israel from Egypt. They were awaited by others on the Israeli side, which led the Israeli forces to suspect they were drug smugglers. Israeli forces fired into the air and then toward their knees, and the Egyptians returned fire. The Israeli army spokesperson said one of the suspected drug smugglers were killed.

On Monday,an Egyptian officer was killed and another injured as Egyptian security forces and a militant Islamist group clashed in the city of El-Arish.

Security forces raided the home of a senior leader in the "Jihadists and Takfiris" movement in the Jisr al-Wadi neighborhood of El-Arish, a security source told Cairo's media .

Militants opened fire on the security forces, who in turn fired back. One officer was killed and another injured in the exchange of gunfire.

One militant was detained by police, while the leader managed to escape. The man arrested by police was reportedly in possession of a handgun, grenades and electric detonators.

Egyptian security officials say the "Jihadists and Takfiris" movement follows Al-Qaeda intellectually and demands an end to any military or foreign presence in the Sinai peninsula.

Muhammad Eid Musleh Hamad, also known as Muhammad al-Teehi, was detained last week by Egyptian security forces. He is accused of planning the deadly attacks in Israeli border city Eilat in August, as well as a number of attacks in the Egyptian peninsula, a Ma'an correspondent reported.

Saboteurs blew up the gas pipeline between Egypt, Israel and Jordan on Nov. 10 in the Northern Sinai using remote controlled bombs, forcing it to shut down, Egyptian security sources said.

Forces launched a security sweep in August to root out suspected Islamist gangs and, according to security sources at the time, captured four Islamist militants as they prepared to blow up a pipeline in El-Arish,according to official news agency MENA.

The desert border between Israel and Egypt runs for 240 kilometres (150 miles) from the Red Sea seaside town of Eilat to Kerem Shalom in the north.Sinai desert Bedouin tribesmen run arms, cigarettes, and drugs smuggling rackets across the porous border.

Israel plans to complete by the end of next year a five metre high security barrier along the border with Egypt as AFP reported.

UPDATE

Unknown assailants shot and killed an Egyptian intelligence officer Thursday in the Sinai, officials said.

The officer, a captain in Egypt's military intelligence in el-Arish, was shot dead while driving through al-Qantara near the Suez Canal.

The assailants stole the officer's weapons and car, security officials said. His body was found about 500 meters from the canal.