Rocket alert sirens sound along southern border with Egypt
There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage at the Negev.
By ANNA AHRONHEIMUpdated: JANUARY 11, 2018 14:57Israel ups security level along Egypt's Sinai border(photo credit: screenshot)
Sirens sounded in the southern c Tuesday morning alerting residents to a rocket fired from Egypt.The projectile, however, landed in the Sinai Peninsula, and there were no reports of injuries or damage.According to an IDF assessment, the incident was the result of errant fire emanating from the internal fighting in Sinai between the Egyptian army and Islamic State in the region.Israel has a 240-kilometer border with the Sinai, and while incidents along the border are rare, there have been several in recent years, including in July 2015 when the Islamic State in Sinai claimed responsibility for firing two grad rockets towards Israel in retaliation for its alleged support for the Egyptian military when the jihadist group attacked army checkpoints in northern Sinai. The two rockets landed inside Israeli territory without causing casualties.Despite the attacks on Israel’s security forces and sovereignty, Israel and Egypt have maintained close security coordination in past years to promote their joint fight against ISIS.Egyptian president Abdel Fateh al-Sisi has waged extensive military operations against Islamic State in Sinai, which despite the small size of the group in the peninsula is considered by many to be one of the most effective ISIS franchises outside Syria and Iraq, having carried out numerous deadly attacks on Egyptian security forces.Israel ups security level along Egypt"s Sinai borderAccording to a recent infographic released by ISIS, the jihadist group operates in Arish, Bir Abd and Sheikh Zuweidin the Sinai Peninsula.