3 Israeli soldiers killed by Egyptian officer who is also shot dead

(JTA) - An Egyptian security officer opened fire on Israeli soldiers on a routine patrol, killing two, and hours later killed a third before being felled in a shootout, the Israeli army said, in what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called a "severe and extraordinary incident."

The Egyptian military said the shootout occurred while the officer, who has now been identified as Mohamed Salah Ibrahim, was pursuing drug smugglers across the border.

Cross-border attacks are rare between Egypt and Israel, which have been at peace for more than 40 years and have diplomatic relations. The...