Three Israeli soldiers and gunman killed near Egypt border

Israel’s military said three of its soldiers and a gunman were killed near the border with Egypt on Saturday, and a military spokesperson said a group had infiltrated the frontier leading to a firefight.

The Israeli military said two soldiers were shot and killed near the border early on Saturday.

It said the gunman and a third Israeli soldier were killed in a confrontation inside Israeli territory hours later.

Egyptian sources said a group of armed men, possibly smugglers, had shot at an Israeli security cordon leading to an exchange of fire.

Another Israeli military spokesperson said the two soldiers had been shot while on duty early on Saturday and their bodies were found later.

The Israeli military later identified an infiltration into Israeli territory and its forces were fired on, leading to a gunfight in which the gunman and the third Israeli soldier were killed, it said.

Egypt in 1979 became the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel.