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Egypt shelled trucks bringing arms from Sudan-source
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Mar 14, 2011 - 7:31:45 AM

Egypt shelled trucks bringing arms from Sudan-source

CAIRO, March 14 (Reuters) - Egypt's army shelled at least six vehicles trying to smuggle weapons into the country from Sudan last week, security sources told Reuters on Monday.

"There was a smuggling attempt last Thursday and border guards stopped it," a security source said, adding that the vehicles were intercepted near the southern Egyptian city of Aswan. Details on casualties were not immediately available.

The vehicles carrying ammunition and rocket-proprelled grenades were detected as they made their way along an ancient desert trade route linking Egypt and Sudan.

Another source confirmed border guards intercepted the vehicles after they entered Egyptian territory.

The Egyptian army has been governing the country since a popular uprising ousted President Hosni Mubarak on Feb. 11.

Border security is one of their top priorities. There is a civil war in Libya to the west and smuggling across the porous Sudan border to the south. To the east, they are managing the border with the Hamas-run Gaza Strip and Israel.

Hamas obtains its weapons via Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, bringing them in through tunnels.

Arms smuggling by Bedouin tribal networks is mainly by land across the border with Sudan, and then up to the Sinai Peninsula which borders Gaza. Sudan denies allowing illegal weapon shipments across its territory. (Writing and reporting by Marwa Awad; editing by Tom Perry and Mark Heinrich)