Terrorist attack from Sinai against S. Israel thwarted

A band of armed terrorists carrying explosive devices was intercepted by an Israeli border patrol as it crossed the Egyptian border of Sinai opposite the Israeli Negev desert town of Mitzpe Ramon early Wednesday, June 16, debkafile's military sources report. One of the intruders was killed in the firefight, the rest fled back to the Egyptian side of the border, some of them apparently wounded.
The assailants were challenged and put to flight at their crossing point near Mt. Harif, 139 kilometers northwest of Eilat and opposite Mitzpe Ramon, indicating this Israeli town or the military facilities in the vicinity were their destination.  The arms and explosive devices left by the fugitives pointed to a plan to split up for a multiple operation against several targets in southern Israel.
debkafile's military sources add that the investigation will try and determine whether the terrorists were Palestinians from Hamas-ruled Gaza or al Qaeda cells which Egyptian forces are battling in Sinai. Egypt and Israel work together to purge their long desert border of terrorist activity.