Terrorists inside the Sinai Peninsula attacked an IDF patrol at the Egyptian border, near Shivta and Ezuz on Wednesday afternoon.
Two soldiers from the Caracal battalion were injured in the attack from an anti-tank missile and gunfire, according to the IDF.
A female officer and a male soldier were evacuated to Soroka Medical Center in Be’er Sheva by helicopter. They are listed in good and fair condition, respectively.
The IDF sent a large number of troops to the scene to prevent infiltration of terrorists into Israel. It is believed the IDF soldiers were able to return fire and hit the attackers. Unconfirmed reports said a number of the terrorists were killed.
In what initially appeared to be an unrelated motor vehicle accident, an IDF jeep overturned about four kilometers (2.5 miles) from the scene, in the Eshkol Regional Council district. Four soldiers were injured in the incident, according to a security source who said they were listed in good condition.
Defense officials are analyzing data in order to determine whether there was, in fact, any infiltration into Israeli territory.
The southern border with Egypt is closely guarded with a high security fence and advanced observation equipment. The topography in the area is mountainous, with outposts from which to spot any activity in the region. Military patrols secure the border as well.
The Sinai-based global jihadist Ansar Bayt al Maqdis terrorist organization, which is linked to Al Qaeda and the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terror groups, has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Earlier this week in Sinai, seven Egyptian soldiers were wounded by flying shrapnel from an IED (incendiary explosive device), or roadside bomb, detonated against an Egyptian military patrol vehicle as it drove through El Arish.
The Egyptian military has been operating in the region to foil attacks by Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, which has also claimed responsibility in recent months for a number of beheadings in Sinai. The radical Islamist group proclaimed in each case that the victim was guilty of “spying” for Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency.
