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Coordinated Terrorist Attacks on Egyptian Border Kill 8

(Ha'aretz) Anshel Pfeffer - Eight Israelis were killed and 30 more wounded during a well-planned terror attack along the Israeli-Egyptian border Thursday. The attack was planned in Gaza by the Popular Resistance Committees and perpetrated by terrorists who crossed from Gaza into Sinai via smuggling tunnels. They then traveled some 200 km. to reach an area of the border protected only by a tattered wire fence, about 15 km. north of Eilat. Israeli forces killed five of the terrorists, and Egyptian soldiers reportedly killed two more. But the Israel Defense Forces estimates that 15 to 20 participated in the attack. IDF officials believe the goal of the attack was to kidnap a soldier. Three terrorists armed with rifles, grenades and explosives entered Israel from Egypt and stationed themselves at intervals along the highway. They opened fire on Egged Bus 392, wounding seven passengers, most of whom were soldiers. A few minutes later, an empty bus and several cars arrived. The terrorists opened fire again, and when the bus stopped, one of the terrorists ran up to the bus and activated his explosive belt, killing himself and the driver. The shooting killed four occupants of one car, plus the driver of another. At that point, the first soldiers arrived in two vehicles. One vehicle ran down one of the terrorists, killing him. Soldiers in the second vehicle opened fire on the third terrorist. One soldier, Staff Sgt. Moshe Naftali of Ofra, was killed in the ensuing gun battle. After the battle, IDF sappers discovered bombs planted along the road and dismantled them. Hours later, terrorists opened fire at an anti-terrorist (Yamam) unit patrolling the border near the site of the attack, killing one Israeli and wounding another. Israel has already accelerated construction of a planned 200-km. high-tech fence along the southern border. Thus far, 45 km. have been finished.
2011-08-19 00:00:00
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