Israel denies involement in Sinai attack

TEL AVIV, Israel, Aug. 11 (UPI) -- Israel respects Egypt's full sovereignty, Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon said, responding to reports Israel attacked terrorists in the Sinai Peninsula.

"The Egyptian army is fighting first and foremost to protect Egyptian civilians, as well as Egyptian sovereignty. We will not allow rumors and speculations, as they developed over the past 24 hours, to harm the peace agreement," The Jerusalem Post and Israel Radio quoted the defense minister saying Saturday.

Ya'alon was referring to reports Friday that an Israeli drone killed four members of a terror cell operating in the Sinai just miles from the border. The terrorists reportedly were preparing to fire a rocket at Israel.

The New York Times said two explosions occurred in the Sinai just two miles from the border with Israel. Unnamed Egyptian security officials were quoted by local media as saying the explosions were the result of an Israeli missile strike, possibly launched from a remotely piloted drone.

A source denied there had been any cooperation between Israel and Egypt, the Arabic language al-Ahram said. Friday's attack was part of ongoing operations by the Egyptian army to fight terror cells operating in the Sinai, the source said.