At least 15 Sudanese refugees have been shot and killed while attempting to cross the border from Egypt into Israel. There were reports the refugees were shot dead by Egyptian border police after failing to heed calls to stop, but conflicting accounts said they may have been caught in crossfire between smugglers and police. It appears to be one of the highest death tolls in years for people from Sudan, Eritrea and other East African countries who cross the Sinai Peninsula seeking asylum in Israel.