Clash at Israeli-Egyptian Border

Israeli troops shot dead three heavily-armed gunmen who had crossed the Egyptian border and ambushed troops.

One Israeli soldier was also killed in the clash.

Anchor Lisa Mullins gets the latest from The World’s Matthew Bell in Jerusalem.

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Lisa Mullins: While the world’s attention was on Pakistan and other nations where there were protests, there was violence today along the borders of Israel and Egypt. The Israeli military says that it thwarted an attempt by three armed militants to infiltrate the country. The militants crossed the border from Egypt and ambushed Israeli troops. One Israeli soldier was killed and so were all three of the militants. There was Matthew Bell in Jerusalem, Matthew what else do we know about what transpired.

Matthew Bell: According to the Israeli military there were three gunman that came across border about half way between the Mediterranean and Red Sea, it’s a long desert border between Egypt’s Sinai desert and Southern Israel. The men were heavily armed, they had bullet proof vest at least one explosive suicide belt, according to Israeli military. They said there was a shootout, an Israeli soldier was killed, another Israeli soldier was wounded, and all three of the militants were killed.

Mullins: So just to be clear on this there was someone who was wearing a suicide belt. Has that been confirmed and and the belt was detonated? Has that part been confirmed to?

Bell: According to the reports I’ve seen, the Israeli military is saying at least one of them had had and explosive belt, and it apparently went off during the shootout that lasted a while.

Mullins: Is there any indications of who these people were and who is responsible?

Bell: No claims of responsibility yet, Lisa, but this is at least the fourth type of an incident like this in just over a year. Back in June there was an attack that killed one Israeli worker. Remember that Israel is building a border fence along this stretch of border for two reasons. One is security from things like this, and also to keep migrants from Africa from crossing over into Israel. A little over a year ago the worst attack in Israel itself was when militants came across and actually killed eight Israelis. This is one thing that Israeli officials have been talking about for months now. Recently I was at a talk with Roni Bar-On, he is the head of the Knesset committee on defense and foreign affairs. Here’s an example of how the Israelis have been talking about this problem of security from across the border.

[Bell plays radio transcript of Israeli addressing Egypt's security]
“It is clear that Egypt must fight terror within it’s borders. Sinai has become a terrorist nation. A land of smugglers, terrorist and human trafficking causing a threat not only to Israel, but also itself.” Lisa that’s a reference to the deadliest attack like this that happened about six weeks ago when militants attacked an Egyptian security base, and they killed at least sixteen police and security forces there. Now that prompted the Egyptian government to launch what many people see as an unprecedented crack down on militancy in the Sinai, but by all accounts this is a long term effort and it’s not clear what’s been accomplished just yet.

Mullins: Because we don’t know who is responsible exactly right now, do we know what the motivation could have been? I mean we’re seen wide spread protests across Egypt and in many countries, of course, over an anti Islam film trailer. Is what we’re seeing in Sinai today at all connected possibly with the violence we’ve seen elsewhere?

Bell: That’s hard to say too, Lisa. As I said, these attacks have happened before this is a tense area on a good day here. The Israelis says that there are all kinds of extremists and militants and even Al Qaeda type of radicals running around the Sinai. The Egyptians have said it’s a problem and they’ve launched that crack down there. The Egyptians have also complained and said that their hands are tied in some ways because of the Israel-Egypt treaty that limits the number of troops that they can deploy along the border in the Sinai. Egyptians officials have said they want to renegotiate parts of the treaty. The Israeli says look we’re flexible, we’ll let Egypt do what it needs to do, but we need to coordinate with Egypt. There’s a new government in Egypt and the relationship between Egypt and Israel is changing and we just don’t exactly how it’s all going to work out.

Mullins: Ok, speaking to us from Jerusalem about the attack that happened on the border of Egypt and Israel today, that was Matthew Bell. Thank you.

Bell: Thank you, Lisa.

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