Five Sudanese migrants shot dead in Egypt's Sinai

CAIRO

Five Sudanese migrants were shot dead on Monday in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, according to an Egyptian army spokesman.

In a statement, army spokesman Brigadier-General Mohamed Samir said a group of Sudanese migrants had opened fire on Egyptian border guards after being spotted trying to cross the border with Israel.

"Five infiltrators were killed and six others injured when border guards returned fire," Samir said.

According to the spokesman, a border guard was injured and five migrants arrested.

A security source had told Anadolu Agency earlier that five Sudanese migrants had been killed and 17 injured in a shootout between Egyptian border guards and human traffickers in the North Sinai city of Rafah.

Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula is a transit hub for African migrants hoping to cross into Israel -- with which Sinai shares a border -- in search of work.

Last week, at least 15 Sudanese migrants were reportedly killed in North Sinai during a shootout between Egyptian security forces and smugglers.