AL-ARISH: An Egyptian security official says police have detained six African migrants, including three children, who were trying to sneak into Israel.

The official says the group included three children and two adults from the war-torn Sudanese region of Darfur and one adult from Eritrea. The group was detained Saturday in the Contella area, some 100 km south of Rafah.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.

The children, now in police custody, claim they were separated from their parents amid crowds of migrants crossing into Israel.

The official says police have contacted the Sudanese embassy in Cairo, but did not say if the children will be deported to Sudan.