Heightened tension in south
Resident of Eshkol Regional Council have been instructed to stay indoors following clash between IDF and terrorists at Egypt border
Hours after the Air Force strikes targets in Gaza, resident of Eshkol Regional Council have been instructed to stay indoors following clash between IDF and terrorists at Egypt border. No injuries have been reported.
"We were asked to immediately evacuate to fortified spaces," one of the residents told Ynet. "At the moment, people are locking themselves indoors.
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"My children were at their friends and I was in the dining room with my wife and younger son. I had to go looking for them," he added.
"This is definitely an unusual incident unlike we've experienced in the past," said another resident. "We received an instruction to immediately enter fortified spaces, whereas usually we get a message asking us to stay nearby a fortified space," she added.
Meanwhile, Arab news outlets reported Sunday that around 15 Egyptian policemen were killed in an armed attack on a police station in north Sinai Peninsula at a security checkpoint in Rafah.
Security forces near Kerem Shalom (Photo: Roi Idan)
The gunmen reportedly took control of two Egyptian armored vehicles using RPG missiles and explosives. One of the vehicles blew up near the Kerem Shalom border crossing, while the other one managed to infiltrate into Israel. The gunmen fired tank shells toward Israeli forces stationed at the border, but IAF aircraft managed to hit the armored vehicle. No casualties reported among IDF forces.
According to al-Arabiya network, the gunmen, who are affiliated with the global jihadist movement which has become increasingly active in Sinai, drove a four-wheel-drive vehicle when they attacked the troops.
“It seems the attack was sudden and well-coordinated, using heavy arms,” an al-Arabiya reporter said.
The attack occurred during the Iftar evening meal, when Muslims break their Ramadan fast.
Rocket barrage
Earlier at round 6pm, a Qassam rocket exploded in an open area near Sderot. There were no reports of injuries or damages. A Color Red alert sounded in the area.
Earlier on Sunday, the Air Force attacked terrorist targets in the southern Gaza Strip.
Palestinian sources reported that the target was a motorcycle carrying two Popular Resistance Committees members in the Tel Sultan neighborhood, west of Rafah.
One of the riders was killed, while the other one injured, the sources said.
The IDF stated that the two were affiliated with the global jihadist movement. One of the terrorists, 22-year-old Ahmad Said Ismail who was injured in the attack, participated in a terror attack at the Israeli-Egypt border in June, which claimed the life of an Israeli citizen.
The man killed in the attack is 19-year-old Id Nadi Okhal from Rafah who was planning another terror attack against Israeli targets at the Egypt border and Sinai Peninsula along with other global jihadist movement members.
Elior Levy contributed to this report
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