Sinai (archives)
Photo: Reuters
Egyptian security forces found 500 kilograms (1,100 pounds) of TNT explosives Sunday hidden in sacks near the country's border with the Gaza Strip, a police officer said.
Bedouins working for the authorities led them to the location of the explosives near el-Toayel village, some 25 kilometers (15 miles) west of the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, the official said.
Police discovered the cache covered with bushes in northern Sinai after receiving a tip from local Bedouins, reported the official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
Previous Incident
Associated Press
Police find 500 kilograms of explosives buried near central desert village in Sinai Peninsula after receiving tip from local Bedouins regarding alleged drug smuggling
Smuggling across the border into Gaza or Israel has long provided a livelihood for some Bedouin. Weapons, cigarettes and foreigners seeking jobs in Israel are all taken surreptitiously across the border.
Israel has repeatedly accused Egypt of not doing enough to stop weapons smuggling into Gaza, particularly through tunnels. Cairo recently said it would make a greater effort to stop smuggling.
Egypt has also had problems with illicit weapons activity in the remote Sinai Peninsula. Islamic militants have carried out three major bomb attacks in Sinai since October 2004. The blasts in the resorts of Sharm el-Sheik, Taba and Dahab killed 125 people.