AL-ARISH: An Egyptian security official says border guards have arrested 13 Georgian migrants trying to cross illegally into Israel.
The official says the seven men and six women were caught in the deserted area of El-Madfouna on the Sinai Peninsula. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to talk to the media.
The official said the migrants paid $500 to human traffickers for shelter in the desert and a ride to the Israeli border. They surrendered when border guards opened fire into the air.
Friday’s arrests were unusual because most of the migrants caught trying to sneak into Israel come from Africa. Egyptian border guards shot two African migrants to death on Thursday in the same area as they tried to cross into Israel.
