The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces issued a statement on Sunday, insisting that "the security of Sinai is a purely Egyptian concern" and that Egypt would not accept any interference in the matter from outside, a reference to recent cross-border incursions by Israeli armed forces. The statement was read out by Information Minister Osama Heikal following a meeting of senior officials to discuss the incidents that took place on Thursday, during which five members of the Egyptian security forces were killed and seven others wounded by the Israeli military along the Israel-Egypt border. Also present at the meeting were Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, Prime Minister Essam Sharaf and a number of ministers. The Egytian security forces personnel were killed as Israeli armed forces pursued men suspected of carrying out a series of terrorist attacks in southern Israel in Thursday, chasing the men up to and across the national boundary. Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak described one of the terrorist attacks close to Eilat, during which eight Israelis were killed, as "a coordinated terrorist attack that indicates a serious weakness on the part of Egypt in controlling the Sinai Peninsula and combating the expansion of terrorist activity." On Saturday, Barak expressed his regrets for the killing of Egyptian security personnel and offered to work with the Egyptian army on a joint investigation into the matter. However, the Egyptian military council said that while the apology was a positive sign, it was not enough, demanding a deadline for the investigation and a commitment by Israel to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.
