Egypt police find Sinai missiles cache

Egyptian police seized a cache of weapons including anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles in the Sinai desert near the Gaza border…

Egyptian police seized a cache of weapons including anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles in the Sinai desert near the Gaza border on Saturday, security sources said.

Police found at least five boxes of weapons hidden in mountains about 77km (48 miles) south of the border town of Rafah, the sources said.

The cache included about 30 anti-aircraft missiles, 3,000 bullets as well as rifles, they added. Police cordoned off the area but made no arrests.

Israel has accused Egypt of not doing enough to stop arms reaching Palestinian factions through the Sinai desert.

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Egyptian authorities publicise their activities to stop smuggling and illegal crossings. A halt to the smuggling is among Israeli conditions for considering an Egyptian-proposed ceasefire with Islamist militant group Hamas in Gaza.

The area where the cache was found was also used by militant groups accused of bombings in 2004 and 2005 in the Egyptian resorts of Taba and Sharm el-Sheikh, the sources said.