About 5,000 Egyptian state security police fanned out near the
Egypt-Gaza border to protect Egyptians living in the area after
reports that Israel might drop "smart bombs" on suspected smuggling
tunnels, officials said Sunday.
The reports of the deployment first emerged late on Saturday and
were confirmed early Sunday by Egypt's official Middle East News
Agency.
"The security forces have deployed along the entire border...
following threats by Israel... to drop 'smart bombs' in the
Philadelphi Corridor," the news agency said. "The security
deployment was to protect Egyptians living in the border area."
Initial reports had indicated the deploying forces were Egyptian
army soldiers, but officials stressed Sunday that was not the case,
and the forces consisted of state security police, a
paramilitary-like force often used in Egypt to maintain order.
The security police usually are stationed in towns in the Sinai
Peninsula. They were redeployed on Saturday to fan out across the
northern peninsula, patrolling roads in and out of border towns and
setting up checkpoints, an Egyptian interior ministry official said
in Cairo.
Police also were launching raids on suspected militant hideouts,
he added on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to
speak to the media.
Last week, Israel said it had uncovered 15 tunnels burrowed
under the Egypt-Gaza border, where militants are suspected of
smuggling weapons and other contraband to use in attacks against
Israel.
The Israeli newspaper Maariv reported on Friday that Israel
planned to use precision-guided weapons to destroy the tunnels.
Israel's army said Sunday the Rafah border crossing in the area
which is open only sporadically would be closed Sunday.
Israeli officials said they were checking the report that
Egyptian forces had been deployed in the region but had no
immediate information Sunday. They also said Egyptian officials
would be informed ahead of any Israeli actions planned for the
area.
The Egyptian interior ministry official said he was aware of the
Maariv report about possible bombings, and that Egyptian
authorities had their own intelligence information to verify
it.
After an Israeli soldier was captured by Hamas-linked militants
on June 25, Israel launched a massive military operation into Gaza,
where Cpl Gilad Shalit is believed to be held. It was the first
time Israeli troops entered parts of the coastal strip since the
2005 withdrawal.
On Saturday, residents were forced to evacuate their homes and
shops to make room for thousands of Egyptian police moving into
border regions, a Sinai security official said on condition of
anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
The official said Egypt had not given approval to any Israeli
attacks on suspected tunnels in the area, and that talks were
planned between Israeli and Egyptian officials over the matter.
"There will be negotiations aimed at discouraging such a
(bombing) operation, because thousands of local civilians will be
subjected to danger," he said.
Other Egyptian security officials could not confirm that any
talks were planned.
The Rafah crossing is open only sporadically, and there are
often thousands of Palestinians amassed at the area waiting to
cross back and forth into Egypt.
(China Daily October 30, 2006)
