The violence in Israel

 

Three Israeli soldiers shot dead in border area  

 

Three Israeli soldiers have been killed in a shootout on the border with Egypt, AP reports. The shooting is said to have occurred on Saturday morning, according to the Times of Israel. 

 

Later on Saturday, a gunman was shot dead by Israel's military. According to the military, it was most likely he who shot the three soldiers. The man is said to have been on Israeli soil when he opened fire on the soldiers, who responded by shooting him dead.  

 

Ten years ago, Israel built a border wall in the area to prevent African migrants and Islamists from entering the country. Fighting in the area is unusual

 

  

Israeli soldiers at the border crossing where two were found dead. Tsafrir Abayov / AP   

 

Egyptian police shot dead the Israeli soldiers  

 

The man who shot dead three Israeli soldiers in the desert near the Israel-Egypt border on Saturday and was himself killed was an Egyptian border policeman, according to international media. 

 

Two of the Israeli soldiers are believed to have been killed early Saturday morning. Their colleagues began to suspect trouble when they did not answer radio calls, according to the Times of Israel. A few hours later, the Egyptian policeman is said to have attacked patrolling Israeli soldiers, according to the Israeli military. In the exchange of fire that followed, he and another soldier are said to have died.  

 

The Egyptian army says that the Egyptian police crossed the border into Israel in search of drug smugglers, and that the three Israeli soldiers and himself were killed in an exchange of fire. 

 

Both countries state that they are investigating the incident jointly.