RAFAH: An Egyptian security official says border guards fatally shot an African migrant and detained 16 others as they tried to cross the border into Israel.

The official said the shot migrant, whose nationality was not known, refused to surrender after guards fired warning shots south of Rafah early Sunday.

He spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media.

Four Ethiopian women and one Eritrean woman were among those detained.

Hundreds of Africans seeking political asylum and jobs try to illegally get into Israel every year, in long perilous desert trips, often with the help of Bedouin traffickers.

Egypt has killed dozens of migrants at the border in the past two years, drawing criticism from rights groups.