Six African migrants killed near Egypt-Israel border

Six African migrants trying to cross into Israel from Egypt's Sinai desert have been killed.

Egyptian security officials said four of the migrants were killed in a dispute with the people smugglers taking them to Israel.

The other two were killed by Egyptian border guards as they tried to cross into Israel.

Human rights activists have criticised Egypt for killing dozens of migrants at the border in the last few years.

Many of the migrants, seeking work or political asylum in Israel, come from Sudan and the Horn of Africa.

An Egyptian security official told the AFP news agency that the six Africans killed on Friday were from Eritrea.

The migrants' dispute with the people traffickers broke out after the smugglers demanded more money for taking them into Israel, the migrants told Egyptian police.

Some of the migrants seized weapons from the smugglers and a gunfight broke out in which four of them were killed.

The group of migrants scattered and two were later shot at the border.

At least 17 of the migrants were arrested by Egyptian police, officials said.