An Egyptian soldier was shot down Wednesday in Rafah in the restive Sinai Peninsula Wednesday by unidentified assailants, according to a statement released by the military spokesman.
The soldier, a recruit named Mohamed Kamel, was shot in the chest, and later died from his wounds. The attackers were allegedly in a car and sped off after the shooting.
Security forces are scanning the area for suspects. The brief statement did not give further details of the incident, but called Kamel a martyr.
The Rafah area, and the crossing in particular, has been a flashpoint for Egyptian military action as forces perform search and destroy missions for smuggling tunnels that run underneath the border to Gaza.
The Egyptian army spokesman also recounts frequent arrests and killings of militants in the area. Cars, homes, trees and small huts are often destroyed in an effort to quell a fierce insurgency that has played a major part in post 3 July violence.
Over 500 members of the police and army have been killed since the 25 January Revolution, which violence escalating following the ouster of former president Mohamed Morsi by the military last July.
