Palestinian members of Hamas security forces stop a vehicle at a checkpoint in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on Aug.17, 2017. Two people including a suspected Islamic State suicide bomber were killed and five others injured early Thursday in an attack in southern Gaza, according to a Palestinian official. It is the first time that such an incident happens on the borderline area between the Hamas-ruled coastal enclave and Egypt.(Xinhua/Khaled Omar)
GAZA, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- Two killed, including a suicide bomber, and five injured early on Thursday in a suicide bombing attack after an Islamic State (ISIS) member carried out on the borders between southern Gaza Strip and Egypt, security officials said.
Eyad al-Bozzom said in an official statement emailed to reporters that a security incident happened early on Thursday at the borderline between southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah and Egypt.
"An interior border security force stopped two persons who approached the borders with Egypt, then one of them blew himself up, where he was killed and the other was wounded," said al-Bozzom.
He added that one of the force's security officers was seriously wounded and was taken to Abu Yousef al-Najjar Hospital in the town for urgent medical treatment.
Medical sources said that Nidal al-Ja'fari, on the border security forces officer died of his wounds and five others moderately injured.
"The security apparatuses in the Gaza Strip began immediately combing the area and started to investigate the incident," said al-Bozzom, who didn't give anymore details on the identity of the two suspects.
However, local sources in Rafah town said the two are apparently members in the Islamic State (ISIS) and they were trying to cross the borders with Egypt into the Egyptian Peninsula of Sinai.
The sources said that Mustafa Kullab, member in ISIS and a Palestinian resident of Rafah town was killed after he blew himself up at the borders area between the town and Egypt.
It is the first time that such an incident happens on the borderline area between the Hamas-ruled coastal enclave and Egypt.
In recent weeks, and according to security understandings reached between Hamas and Egypt in Cairo in June, the Hamas-run security forces built up a buffer zone on the borders with Egypt to prevent smuggling individuals and goods.
