JERUSALEM: Two Egyptian policemen who were shot dead by Israeli troops may have thought they were pursuing smugglers, according to a preliminary report conducted by the army and reported by public radio Sunday. The report suggests that the Egyptians, believing Israeli soldiers were smugglers, opened fire at them from a distance of around 80 meters and 200 meters inside Israeli territory, the radio reported. A senior Egyptian police officer will also contribute to a final report on the incident, which has cast a shadow over a scheduled summit Sunday between President Hosni Mubarak and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. If mistakes were made in this incident, they were made in good faith and should not affect relations between Egypt and Israel, Tshai Hanegbi, chairman of the parliamentary defense and foreign affairs committee, told the radio. The Sharm El-Sheikh summit is primarily an opportunity for Mubarak and Olmert to get to know each other. The two countries have become much closer and we hope for a personal relationship and mutual trust between the two leaders. On Saturday, Egypt s official MENA news agency claimed that Israeli soldiers dragged the bodies of two policemen onto Israeli territory after shooting them on the Egyptian side of the border. AFP
Shot Egyptians thought Israelis smugglers: initial report
