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Relatives and colleagues weep for the Israeli soldiers who died in a shootout with Egyptian police officers on the border between the two countries. The policeman also died. Photo/REUTERS
TEL AVIV – Israel has returned the bodies of Egyptian police officers who shot dead three Zionist soldiers near the border of the two countries last Saturday. The policeman was identified as Mohammed Salah (22).
The Egyptian military said after the incident that Salah had crossed into Israel while chasing drug smugglers, leading to a shootout with Israeli soldiers.
But the Zionist leader said it was a terrorist attack and demanded a thorough joint investigation.
A relative and associate of Salah told the BBC on Tuesday (6/6/2023) that he was not an extremist.
According to the Israeli military, two Israeli soldiers—Staff Sergeant Uri Iluz (20) and Sergeant Lia Ben-Nun (19)—who were stationed in a remote location along the border were shot dead on Saturday morning. Their bodies were found after a senior officer was unable to reach them via radio call.
After the search operation, the attackers were surrounded and a shootout ensued. A third soldier, Staff Sergeant Ohad Dahan, 20, died along with the assailant, who the Israeli military said was an Egyptian policeman.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a cabinet meeting on Sunday: “Israel sent a clear message to the Egyptian government. We hope that the joint investigation will be complete and comprehensive.”
“We will update our procedures and operating methods and measures to keep (drugs) smuggling to a minimum and ensure that tragic terrorist attacks like this don’t happen again,” he said.
Israeli media, citing initial investigations, reported that the Egyptian police officer entered Israel using a closed makeshift gate at the border fence, which is several hundred meters from the guard post of Staff Sergeants Iluz and Sergeant Ben-Nun.
