The Egyptian armed forces increased their deployment along the border with Israel and the Palestinian territories, following a deadly attack carried out Friday by gunmen against Israeli soldiers; three gunmen and one Israeli soldier were killed.The Egyptian army started an operation aimed at ensuring that gunmen are not close to the border with Israel, especially in the areas of Sheikh Zweid and Rafah, along the border.
Egyptian sources reported that the army wants to secure the border and “eliminate all hostile elements in the area”, and added that “aerial units of the area are now participating in the efforts to secure the border.
The Egyptian army has been engaged in large operations against extremist gunmen in Sinai, especially after 15 Egyptian soldiers were killed, earlier in August, and several others were wounded, when armed extremists attacked an Egyptian military base in Sinai.
The Israeli army also killed seven gunmen, allegedly Palestinian, who reportedly hijacked a military vehicle from the Egyptian military base and attempted to drive through the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) Israeli crossing.
Soon after the attack against the Egyptian military base, the Egyptian army killed at least twenty persons, members of extremist groups, after Egyptian Apache helicopters bombarded areas in Al-Arish and in Sinai where armed extremist are believed to be based. This marked the time that the Egyptian Air Force bombards Sinai since the 1973 war with Israel.
