Egypt police kill Sudanese migrant to Israel

Egyptian police shot and killed a Sudanese man as he tried to cross the border illegally into Israel on Friday, a security official told AFP.

"Police ordered him by loudspeaker to stop, but when he did not obey they shot him," the official said.

The 26-year-old died of a single shot to the head, he said, adding that the incident took place on the Sinai desert border. about 100 miles (160 kilometers) south of the Rafah border crossing with Israel.

The death raises to 30 the number of migrants killed on the border since the beginning of the year -- 26 of them by Egyptian police.

A week ago, Egyptian police shot and killed a man from sub-Saharan Africa trying to cross into Israel.

Cairo has rejected strong criticism from human rights groups of its policy of using lethal force against migrants along the 250-kilometre (150-mile) border.

The border has become a major trafficking route for African migrants seeking jobs and for eastern European women headed for the sex trade.

The official said police also arrested two Eritrean migrants south of Rafah in a separate incident.

They Eritreans said they had paid $1,000 each to Bedouin traffickers to help them cross into Israel.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak to the media.

Many migrants seeking political asylum and jobs try to cross into Israel with the help of Bedouin traffickers. Egypt has killed dozens of migrants in the past two years, drawing criticism from rights groups.