Two Israeli soldiers reportedly injured in cross-border attack from Egypt

An Israeli military vehicle patrolling the border with Egypt reportedly came under fire from armed elements in a cross-border attack on Wednesday afternoon. This attack reportedly resulted in the injury of two Israeli military personnel.

Reuters reported that the attack took place near Ezuz, a small Israeli settlement located immediately across the border from Egypt, approximately 85 kilometers southeast of the Mediterranean town of Rafah.

Citing Israeli military sources, Reuters reported that Wednesday’s casualties include one female officer and one male soldier from the Caracal Battalion, which is tasked with guarding Israel’s border with Egypt.

These same military sources reported that anti-tank rockets and machine guns were used in the attack on the Israeli patrol vehicle.

According to the private Al-Masry Al-Youm news website, three Israeli troops were injured and four armed elements were allegedly shot dead following the reported cross-border attack. However, state-owned media outlets have not reported any fatalities of armed assailants operating from Egypt.

No group has yet claimed responsibility, and Egyptian state officials have not issued any confirmation, denial or details of this reported incident.

In Egypt, the Ministries of Defense and the Interior did not issue any official statements on their websites regarding this reported incident.

Citing a spokesperson for Egypt’s police, Major General Hany Abdel Latif , the UK-based Guardian website reported that police forces exchanged fire with smugglers near the Israeli border at around 12:30 pm on Wednesday.

This police spokesperson is cited as saying he was not aware of any cross-border attack into Israel, or any casualties.

Citing Israeli army sources, the Guardian reported that the cross-border attack from Egypt took place around 2 pm.

The armed jihadi group, Ansar Beit al-Maqdes, had previously claimed bombings and attempted cross-border attacks against Israel. As of yet, however, the group has not claimed responsibility for Wednesday’s reported attack.  

Based in the Sinai Peninsula, Ansar Beit al-Maqdes has claimed that it is responsible for multiple bombings of pipelines, from 2011 till 2012, which used to transport natural gas to Israel from Egypt, and a cross border attack against Israeli troops in September 2012.

It has also claimed responsibility for rocket attacks into the Israeli Red Sea town of Eilat on January 2014, which Israel claims were intercepted by its Iron Dome missile defense system.