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CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian border police shot dead an African migrant and injured another on Monday as they tried to slip across the border into Israel, security sources said.

The pair attempted to sneak into Israel near the Karam Abu Salem border crossing. The first migrant died on the spot but his nationality was unknown as he was carrying no identity papers. The injured migrant, who was from Cameroon, was taken to Rafah hospital.

Egyptian police have stepped up efforts in recent months to control the border with Israel, following an increase in human trafficking through Egypt.

At least 19 migrants have now been killed at the border since last May, and 28 have been injured.

The Sinai border is a main transit route for usually unarmed African migrants and refugees seeking work or asylum in Israel. Egyptian police say the smugglers who ferry migrants to the border region sometimes fire on security forces.

Egypt, which for years tolerated tens of thousands of African migrants on its territory, fears the unfettered flow of migrants at its Sinai border could pose a security threat in an area where Islamist militants sometimes find refuge.