A shootout in southern Israel along the Egyptian border killed three Israeli soldiers Saturday, the army announced, in a rare instance of deadly violence along the frontier.
The military said an assailant was in “Israeli territory” when he opened fire at troops. The soldiers returned fire, killing the gunman.
The army added one of the killed soldiers was a woman.
The exchange of fire reportedly took place around the Nitzana border crossing between Israel and Egypt. The crossing is located about 40 kilometers (25 miles) southeast of the point where Israel’s border with Egypt and the Gaza Strip converge. It’s used to import goods from Egypt destined for Israel or the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.
Egypt was the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel in 1979.
Israel built a fence along the porous border a decade ago to halt the entry of African migrants and militants who are active in Egypt’s Sinai desert.
