Two Egyptian policeman were wounded in clashes with smugglers assisting African migrants crossing the country's Sinai peninsula border with Israel, security sources said Friday, DPA reported.
One group of smugglers was spotted by a police patrol early on Friday while attempting to cross the border. One policeman was injured when both sides exchanged fire.
The other policeman was injured overnight in a similar incident in central Sinai.
Both policemen are currently being treated in el-Arish hospital.
African migrants regularly try to enter Israel illegally, often to find work. In many cases, police open fire on them, though human rights groups have sharply criticized the growing number of fatalities.
Last week, eight African migrants were killed after they clashed with the traffickers. One of the migrants seized a weapon from the smugglers in a bid to escape after they demanded 2,000 dollars from each migrant instead of 1,000 dollars to let them cross into Israel.