Report shows Egyptians involved in terror attack

Israel bolstered its security along the Egyptian border amid new intelligence received that terrorists were planning to attack Israelis. Israel's Chief of General Staff Lt.Gen. Benny Gantz ordered the army to bolster its defensive measures along the Egyptian border and gather intelligence using electronic and visual means in an effort to track down the terrorists planning the attacks. The new measures went into effect Wednesday afternoon. Meanwhile an initial probe conducted by the Israel Army into last week's terror attack near Eilat in which 8 Israelis were killed, revealed that at least three of the terrorists were Egyptian nationals. One of the terrorists belonged to a radical Egyptian group and was tried in Egypt but escaped from prison during the first days of anti-regime protests there. Details of the probe were submitted to Egyptian officials by Maj.Gen. Amir Eshel, head of the army's General Staff Planning branch who traveled to Cairo earlier this week. Eshel also showed Egyptian officials photographic evidence to support the findings, the Web site said. The report showed Israeli soldiers did their utmost to prevent Egyptian soldiers and border guards from being hurt during gun battles that erupted between Israeli soldiers and terrorists who fled to the Egyptian side of the border. Videos shot taken from aircraft showed that Israeli soldiers intentionally diverted fire from the Egyptian all-terrain vehicles and soldiers towards open areas near the border base. The probe also found that Egyptian army troops deployed at the border spotted the terrorists but did nothing to prevent them from crossing into Israel. The terrorists wore uniforms similar to those worn by the Egyptian army.