The Associated Press reports 16 Egyptian soldiers were killed Sunday on the border between Gaza and Israel by masked gunmen, officials said. The gunmen drove off into Israel.
The attack took place during the troops' traditional meal at the end of the day during Ramadan. According to Egyptian state TV, the attack was by Islamist militants.
The Israeli military said one of the two vehicles the attackers drove away in blew up.
Israel's Defense Minister Ehud Barak said in a statement that Israel's military and the internal security agency "thwarted an attack that could have injured many. The militants' attack methods again raise the need for determined Egyptian action to enforce security and prevent terror in the Sinai."
According to Businessweek, U.S. official warned the increasing strength of radical Islamic groups in the Sinai Peninsula in the past year after the removal of Egypt's president, Hosni Mubarak.