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02 August 2010
Several explosions rocked Israel's Red Sea resort of Eilat and the neighboring Jordanian port city of Aqaba during high tourist season. Israeli media say three rockets crashed into the sea and one hit an open area in Eilat. There were no injuries or damage in Israel.
Another rocket landed near the Intercontinental Hotel in Aqaba. Jordanian authorities say one person was killed and four injured.
An Israeli official in Aqaba, Samu Samuai, said within minutes there was a massive security clampdown in the city.
He told Israel Radio that Jordanian police and soldiers deployed across town, at intersections, hilltops and government buildings.
Israeli security sources believe the rockets were fired from Egypt's Sinai Peninsula by Islamic militants linked to the "Global Jihad" – a reference to al-Qaida.
Eilat Mayor Meir Yitzhak HaLevy told Israel Radio that "fundamentalist elements" are trying to create chaos in a resort that is teeming with tourists. He said he hopes Israeli and Egyptian security forces will remove the threat of terrorism from the area.
Eilat is at the southern tip of Israel and is usually far from the turmoil of other Israeli border areas, like Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon. But this was the second such rocket attack in three months, raising fears that Eilat is moving from the back burner to the front line.
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