Egyptian soldier killed in Sinai attack

CAIRO -- Gunmen in the restive Sinai Peninsula killed one Egyptian soldier and wounded two others in an attack in the border city of Rafah near the Gaza Strip, Egyptian media reported Friday.

It was unclear whether the attack was motivated by the military coup this week against President Mohamed Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood party.

The Sinai has long been plagued by violence and insecurity. Islamist groups, some with links to the Gaza Strip, frequently use the region as a launching pad for attacks against Israel, and fears are rising that Morsi’s ouster will trigger a flare-up in violence.

Egypt responded to the attack by temporarily closing the border crossing into Gaza, officials said.

Morsi supporters are expected to hit the streets in mass demonstrations Friday to protest his toppling and arrest by the military. But Muslim Brotherhood officials are calling on their supporters to avoid violence.

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edmund.sanders@latimes.com