Islamic terrorists are thought to be responisble for two attacks in the Red Sea area of Isreal.
August 18, 2011- An Israeli bus was attacked just north of Eilat, the popular resort area of the Red Sea. According to officials, five passengers on the bus were wounded and at the same time the Israeli military reported another attack on a vehicle with more casualties, in close proximity. The two attacks suggest a terrorist attack that was coordinated.
Then just a few minutes later in Beersheba, a southern city about 150 miles from the other two attacks, an explosion was reported in a building.
Around midday the bus was attacked in an unpopulated area near the border with Egypt at the Sinai Peninsula. The gunman opened fire from a car and then sped away.
Israeli military forces were in pursuit in helicopters and there has been contact between the attackers and Israeli forces, a military spokesperson confirmed.
Passengers told authorities that three gunmen opened fire from the car and were wearing blue overalls. The bus was in route to Eliat from Beersheba and had both civilians and soldiers aboard.
Recently the area around the Sinai has become quite lawless and Israel has issued a number of strong warnings to visitors and tourists of the risks in the desert region from Islamic extremists.
Just in the last few days soldiers from Egypt had been sent to the northern Sinai to crack down on the unlawfulness after a police post had been attacked.
