Three Israeli soldiers and gunman killed near Egypt border

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Egyptian and Israeli officials are in communication in order to coordinate an investigation into an exchange of gunfire on the border between the two countries, two Egyptian security sources say.

Israel’s military say 3 of its soldiers and a gunman were killed near the border with Egypt on Saturday.

A military spokesperson says a group had infiltrated the frontier leading to a fire fight.

The Israeli military says 2 soldiers were shot and killed near the border early on Saturday.

It says the gunman and a third Israeli soldier were killed in a confrontation inside Israeli territory hours later. Egyptian sources say a group of armed men, possibly smugglers, had shot at an Israeli security cordon leading to an exchange of fire.

Another Israeli military spokesperson says, two soldiers had been shot while on duty early on Saturday and their bodies were found later. The Israeli military later identified an infiltration into Israeli territory and its forces were fired on, leading to a gun fight in which the gunman and the third Israeli soldier were killed, it says.

Egypt in 1979 became the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel.