AL-ARISH: An Egyptian security official says border guards have arrested 11 African migrants in a pair of incidents near the Israeli border.

The official says the first group of nine Eritrean and Ethiopian migrants had spent three nights in a mountainous area of the central Sinai peninsula before being caught while attempting to cross into Israel early Saturday.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the press.

Two others, a Somalian and a Tanzanian, were caught some 10 km south of Rafah passage, on the border, the official added.

Many migrants seeking political asylum and jobs try to cross into Israel with the help of Bedouin traffickers.