CAIRO: An Egyptian border guard was wounded in an exchange of fire with Gaza fighters at the divided border town of Rafah, a security official said on Saturday.
Exchanges of fire between Egyptian border guards and Palestinians have broken out sporadically since Israel began air strikes on Gaza on Dec. 27.
The 21-year-old soldier was shot in the arm by unknown assailants shooting from Gaza, the official said.
Palestinian fighters killed an Egyptian border guard and wounded another during an exchange of fire when dozens of Gazans tried to storm the Rafah barrier dividing Egypt from the Palestinian enclave on the first day of Israel s blitz. One Palestinian was reported dead in this exchange of fire.
A border guard was wounded by bullets fired from Gaza two days later.
Egypt had bolstered security at the border with Gaza days before Israel began its campaign, fearing that Palestinians would breach the border.
In February 2008, thousands of Palestinians flooded into Rafah to shop for essential goods after fighters blew up part of the border divider.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit later threatened to break the legs of Palestinians who crossed the border.-AFP
