Assault on checkpoint kills 15 guards

The Associated Press

Posted: Aug 5, 2012 4:36 PM ET

Last Updated: Aug 5, 2012 5:35 PM ET

State TV said the attack was carried out by Islamist militants.

A security official said seven other guards were wounded in the attack, which took place around sunset, when the troops were having the traditional meal at the end of the daily Ramadan fast.

The official said the attackers seized an armoured vehicle before driving away. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to speak to reporters.

The Israeli military said two vehicles were commandeered by the attackers, including one that crashed into Israel, where it blew up.

In a statement, Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak said Israel’s military and the internal security agency “thwarted an attack that could have injured many. The militants’ attack methods again raise the need for determined Egyptian action to enforce security and prevent terror in the Sinai.”

Initial reports said seven guards were killed in the attack, but emergency services official Ahmed el-Ansari later told Egypt’s news agency that 15 had been killed. He said seven had been wounded by gunfire.

President Mohammed Morsi called for an emergency meeting with the military following the attack, State TV said.

Click to continue at CBC until I can find a real news link that reports things as they actually happen.

New York Daily News actually bothers to mention the motive, which was a plot to kidnap an israeli soldier.