RAFAH: Egyptian border guards fatally shot an African migrant as he tried to cross the border into Israel, an Egyptian official said Thursday.
He said the 28-year-old Eritrean man died from a gunshot to the chest on Wednesday night.
Hundreds of Africans seeking political asylum or jobs in relatively prosperous Israel try to sneak across the border each year, helped by Bedouin traffickers.
The official said a border guard was also wounded Thursday during a fire exchange with other smugglers trying to sneak African migrants into Israel.
Egypt has killed dozens of migrants at the border in the past two years, drawing criticism from rights groups. The government says it fires warning shots first.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak to the media.
Despite the border shootings, the number of illegal migrants attempting to cross into Israel is still rising. Most of them come from Sudan and the horn of Africa, and many attempt to secure political asylum once they arrive in Israel.
The number of African asylum-seekers in Israel is around 20,000.
