Egyptian police shot and killed a man on Saturday in an exchange of fire with armed Bedouin men on a truck in north Sinai, security sources said.

Similar incidents of police killing Bedouin men have in the past escalated into full-blown hostilities between armed tribesmen and police.

Security sources said the truck had no licence plates and contained stolen electrical cables and ammunition. Police have called in Bedouin tribal elders to try to identify the dead man, they added.

Northern Sinai is home to about 200,000 formerly nomadic Bedouin. It is one of Egypt's poorest areas and unemployment is high. Bedouin say they are shut out of jobs in the lucrative tourism and petroleum sectors in Sinai.

Tensions between north Sinai Bedouin and police have never entirely subsided since Egyptian police detained thousands of young Sinai men several years ago when a series of bombings shook south Sinai's tourist resorts. Most of them were freed without charge after months in custody, but many Bedouin complain of police harassment and abuse.

Reuters

Güncelleme Tarihi: 11 Nisan 2009, 13:53