11 African refugees arrested before crossing into Israel; 5 injured

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Egyptian border guards arrested 11 African refugees who were trying to cross illegally into Israel early Saturday, a security official said. Five of refugees were injured during the confrontation, the official said. Guards opened fire on the refugees when they refused to surrender, injuring one of them in the knee before arresting them about 100 kilometers south of the Rafah crossing point in the central Sinai Peninsula, the official said. Four others were injured after they tried to jump over barbed wire on borderline, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.