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Israeli vehicle at the border near Nitzana
Photo: AMIR COHEN / REUTERS
In a violent incident on Israel's border with Egypt, an attacker has been killed, according to the military. The Israeli news site Ynet wrote of a "serious security incident on the border with Egypt". There was an exchange of fire on Israeli territory, soldiers shot the man, said an Israeli army spokesman.
Earlier, it was announced via Twitter that two Israelis had been injured at the border. According to the information, helicopters were also involved in the search for the perpetrators. The identity of the attacker was initially unclear.
The exchange of fire reportedly took place near the Nitzana border crossing between Israel and Egypt. The crossing is about 40 kilometers (25 miles) southeast of the point where Israel's border with Egypt and the Gaza Strip converge. It is used to import goods from Egypt destined for Israel or the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.
Israel and Egypt signed a peace treaty in 1979 and maintain close security relations. Fighting along their common border is rare, but there have been several deadly attacks by militant groups on the border between the two countries in the past. Israel erected a fence along the porous border ten years ago to prevent the entry of African migrants and Islamist militants active in Egypt's Sinai desert.
mgo/AP/dpa