A global terrorist group operating out of Sinai is being blamed for injuring two Israeli soldiers patrolling near the Egyptian border Wednesday.
The soldiers' jeep came under small arms and an anti-tank missile fire, initial reports indicate. Officials were trying to determine if the attack came from the Egyptian side of the border or whether the terrorists infiltrated Israeli territory. The injuries are not considered life threatening.
Egyptian authorities say the attack came from Ansar Bait al-Maqdis, which arose from Egypt's 2011 revolution and seeks to topple President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's government. According to the Jerusalem Post's Yaakov Lappin, the group has links to the Islamic State terrorist group, and "has beheaded a number of Egyptians in recent months, accusing them of being spies for Israel's Mossad."
It also has fired rockets at Israel's southern city of Eilat. Wednesday's attack took place in the Negev Desert near Mount Harif, a remote area about 70 miles from Eilat.
Bait al-Maqdis frequently targets Egyptian forces, who discovered five tons of explosives and rocket parts during a raid on the terrorist group last week. An Egyptian court sentenced seven Bait al-Maqdis members to death Wednesday in connection with attacks last March that killed nine Egyptian soldiers.