Israel suspects rocket fire caused explosions near Egypt border (REUTERS) Writing by Allyn Fisher-Ilan; Editing by Jackie Frank JERSALEM, ISRAEL 08/15/12 7:40pm EDT)
Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/15/us-israel-egypt-idUSBRE87E1BH20120815
Reuters News Service
Reuters News Service Articles-Index-Top
Publishers-Index-Top
(Reuters) - Two explosions shook a southern Israeli city near Egypt
on Wednesday, and the military suspected a cross-border rocket attack
though searches have thus far turned up no evidence.
The blasts took place in the town of Eilat after darkness fell.
Tensions have been running high in neighboring Sinai where Egyptian
troops have mounted a sweep after a deadly August 5 attack on a
security post by militants who then stormed Israel´s border.
There were no reported casualties in Wednesday´s incident. "We
suspect there was a possible rocket attack," a military spokeswoman
said, though searches for explosive remains turned up no results.
Searches were expected to resume at daybreak.
Islamist militants were suspected to be behind an increasing number
of rocket attacks at Israel from Egypt.
The last such attack on June 16 also caused no casualties. Israel
said it has since moved in an Iron Dome missile interceptor system to
protect the region.
The violence has challenged a 1979 peace accord whose durability has
already been tested by the toppling of Israeli ally Hosni Mubarak
last year and his latest succession by Muslim Brotherhood leader,
Mohammed Mursi, who has pledged to abide by the treaty with Israel
which his movement has long opposed. (© Thomson Reuters 2012.
08/15/12)
Return to Top
MATERIAL REPRODUCED FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY