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| Sinai Blasts Kill Up to 5 Thought to Be Militants | |
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| CAIRO — Up to five suspected Islamic militants were killed Friday in two explosions in the restive Sinai Peninsula close to Egypt’s border with Israel, according to Egypt’s official state media. The Egyptian military has recently intensified its campaign against Islamic militants operating against Egyptian forces in the region. | CAIRO — Up to five suspected Islamic militants were killed Friday in two explosions in the restive Sinai Peninsula close to Egypt’s border with Israel, according to Egypt’s official state media. The Egyptian military has recently intensified its campaign against Islamic militants operating against Egyptian forces in the region. |
| Several other news reports, citing unnamed Egyptian security officials, said that the explosions were the result of an Israeli missile strike, possibly launched from a remotely piloted drone, and suggested that the strike had been carried out in coordination with Egypt. | Several other news reports, citing unnamed Egyptian security officials, said that the explosions were the result of an Israeli missile strike, possibly launched from a remotely piloted drone, and suggested that the strike had been carried out in coordination with Egypt. |
| The Israeli military and government offered no immediate comment on the reports, and the circumstances remained unclear. An Egyptian official quoted in the state news media denied there had been any Israeli attacks inside Egyptian territory or any such coordination with Israel. | |
| An Israeli attack of this kind inside Egyptian territory would be extremely rare, if not unprecedented since the two countries signed a peace treaty in 1979. | An Israeli attack of this kind inside Egyptian territory would be extremely rare, if not unprecedented since the two countries signed a peace treaty in 1979. |
| Israeli security experts said that Israel, wary of harming its relations with Egypt, would have been unlikely to carry out an attack in Egyptian territory without coordinating it in advance with Egypt. That, they said, would indicate a new level of cooperation between the two countries since Egypt’s army commander, Gen. Abdul Fattah el-Sisi, replaced the country’s Islamist president last month, as well as the shared interest of the two sides in battling Islamic militants in the Sinai Peninsula. | Israeli security experts said that Israel, wary of harming its relations with Egypt, would have been unlikely to carry out an attack in Egyptian territory without coordinating it in advance with Egypt. That, they said, would indicate a new level of cooperation between the two countries since Egypt’s army commander, Gen. Abdul Fattah el-Sisi, replaced the country’s Islamist president last month, as well as the shared interest of the two sides in battling Islamic militants in the Sinai Peninsula. |
| Citing witnesses, Egypt’s official MENA news agency said a blast had destroyed a rocket launcher set up near the border for attacks against Israel. | Citing witnesses, Egypt’s official MENA news agency said a blast had destroyed a rocket launcher set up near the border for attacks against Israel. |
| Israeli officials have spoken recently of the close cooperation between the Israeli and Egyptian security establishments in their efforts to restore calm in the Sinai Peninsula. Israel has allowed Egypt to move forces and equipment into Sinai beyond what is normally allowed under the terms of the peace treaty, officials say. | Israeli officials have spoken recently of the close cooperation between the Israeli and Egyptian security establishments in their efforts to restore calm in the Sinai Peninsula. Israel has allowed Egypt to move forces and equipment into Sinai beyond what is normally allowed under the terms of the peace treaty, officials say. |
| The Web site of Egypt’s flagship state-run newspaper, Al Ahram, quoted an Egyptian Army spokesman, Col. Ahmed Ali, as saying that there had been two explosions on Friday about two miles west of the Egyptian border in the Sinai Peninsula. Colonel Ali said the armed forces were combing the area to try to determine what had occurred. | |
| In a later statement, Colonel Ali said, “There is no truth in form or in substance to the existence of any Israeli attacks inside Egyptian territory.” | In a later statement, Colonel Ali said, “There is no truth in form or in substance to the existence of any Israeli attacks inside Egyptian territory.” |
| He added that “the claims of coordination between the Egyptian and Israeli sides in this matter are totally lacking in truth and go against sense and logic.” | He added that “the claims of coordination between the Egyptian and Israeli sides in this matter are totally lacking in truth and go against sense and logic.” |
| Egyptian security sources said that the army was investigating and had not released any information on any wounded or dead as a result of the explosions. | Egyptian security sources said that the army was investigating and had not released any information on any wounded or dead as a result of the explosions. |
| Israeli experts said that it was convenient for both sides to remain vague to maintain deniability and avoid any affront to Egyptian sovereignty. | Israeli experts said that it was convenient for both sides to remain vague to maintain deniability and avoid any affront to Egyptian sovereignty. |
| Although the Israeli Air Force has a long history of using pilotless drones, Israel acknowledges using them only for surveillance and has not admitted using armed drones for deadly attacks, despite many reports by witnesses of such attacks over the years from Gaza. | |
| The explosions came a day after Israel closed its small airport in the southern Israeli resort of Eilat, which borders on the southern Sinai Peninsula. The Israeli military said that the two-hour shutdown was the result of “security assessments,” but gave no further details. | |
| But a former senior Israeli defense official said that the airport had been closed after Egypt sent Israel a warning about an attack originating in Sinai, which he said was a sign of heightened cooperation between the two sides. | |
| “The cooperation is not new; the level of cooperation is new,” the former Israeli official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the diplomatic delicacy of Israel’s relations with Egypt. | “The cooperation is not new; the level of cooperation is new,” the former Israeli official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the diplomatic delicacy of Israel’s relations with Egypt. |
| The Israeli military recently deployed an Iron Dome missile defense unit on the outskirts of Eilat, which is now crowded with vacationers at the height of the summer tourist season. Militants have occasionally launched rockets against Israel from the Sinai Desert in recent years. | |
Ben Hubbard reported from Cairo, and Isabel Kershner from Jerusalem. | Ben Hubbard reported from Cairo, and Isabel Kershner from Jerusalem. |