20100205 africanews
Egyptian border police shot dead two African migrants who tried to escape into Israel through the Sinai border, bringing the number of migrants killed this week to four. Police sources say they refused orders to stop. They were a 26-year-old Eritrean and a 27-year-old migrant of unknown nationality. Egypt map Another migrant from Eritrea was critically injured by police as the clandestine group attempted to reach Israel, AFP reported on Thursday.
Observers say increased violence at the border is partly due to the increasing popularity of the route, seen as safer than risking passage by sea from Libya to Europe.
Egyptian Police say they have detained another five Eritreans and three Ethiopians who tried to get into Israel on Wednesday.
Dozens of unarmed Africans, many from Eritrea, Ethiopia and Sudan, seeking work or asylum in Israel were killed by Egyptian border guards last year, while five have died this year.
Israel has been pressuring Egypt to clamp down on the traffic, with a recent approval of the construction of barriers along the two countries' 155-mile border.
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