MORSI ALLIES CONDEMN ‘ISRAELI VIOLATION’ IN EGYPT’S SINAI

    Cairo, 4 Shawwal 1434/11 August 2013 (MINA) – A coalition of groups supportive of ousted president Mohamed Morsi has condemned what it called “Israeli violation” of Egyptian airspace in the Sinai Peninsula.

     “This is a dangerous escalation that threatens Egypt’s national security,” the National Alliance for the Defense of Legitimacy said in a statement, a copy of which was obtained by Anadolu Agency on Friday, quoted by Mi’raj News Agency (MINA) as reporting, Sunday.

     At least five fighters were killed Friday in an attack on a rocket launcher in the North Sinai city of Rafah.

     Sources close to fighter groups in Sinai said that an Israeli plane was behind the attack.

    The sources added that the attack struck shortly as fighters were planning to fire rockets at Israeli targets.

    The Israeli daily Haaretz said that an Israeli drone had fired a missile into North Sinai, killing five militants and destroyed a rocket launcher.

     But an Egyptian army spokesman denied the reports about the Israeli attack, describing the allegations as “groundless and totally bare of truth”.

     He dismissed alleged cooperation between Egypt and Israel on the attack as “baseless, insane and illogical” and urged the media to seek accuracy before running similar information as “it poses a grave danger to national security and harm Egyptian sovereignty”.

     He reiterated that “Egyptian borders are a red line and will not be allowed to be touched.”

     An Israeli army spokesman declined to comment on the report.

     Gamaa Islamiya, an ally of Morsi, has called for unveiling the truth about the Sinai attack.

    “If it is confirmed that Israeli planes violated the Egyptian sovereignty and attacked Egyptians, it will be a new evidence that the army involvement in politics will open the door for threatening the national security and pave the way for a new catastrophe,” it said.

     Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula enjoyed an atypically peace in the past two days, which coincided with Eid al-Fitr, the three-day feast that follows the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan.

     The peninsula, situated near Egypt’s borders with Israel and the Palestinian Gaza Strip, has seen almost daily attacks by unknown assailants since Morsi’s overthrow on July 3 by the military. (T/P09/P04)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)