Three militants armed with explosives and guns attacked a military checkpoint on Israel's border with Egypt today, killing one soldier before all three assailants were killed by return fire. Two other Israeli Defense Force soldiers were wounded, but the bombs did not go off and no one made it across the border. The attack occurred near a border fence that is under construction, but has not yet been completed. 

The border between Egypt and Israel has become more dangerous since the fall of Hosni Mubarak last year, as militant terrorists groups have taken advantage of the political chaos to operate more freely in the Sinai peninsula. In the worst attack, back in August, 16 Egyptian soldiers were killed when gunmen attacked a base near the border on an attempt to enter Israel. Pro-Palestinian groups attacked in June and July as well, though none have been able to infiltrate Israel directly. Egyptian leader Mohammed Morsi has promised to reign in the terrorists, but given the difficulty he's had controlling protests in Cairo and even his on political party, this latest border attack will probably not be the last.

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Dashiell Bennett