Jerusalem – Egyptian naval officers briefly detained seven Israeli security employees on a yacht in the Red Sea, but released them after interrogation, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said Friday, after news of the incident was released for publication.
The arrests occurred on Wednesday. The Israelis were employees of a private company providing security services for ships sailing through the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, and under threat from Somali-based pirates, the ministry said.
They had escorted a ship to the Straits of Tiran, at the entrance to the Gulf of Aqaba, and were on a yacht taking them back to the Israeli port city of Eilat, when they were approached by an Egyptian naval vessel.
The Israelis panicked, and threw their weapons overboard, arousing the suspicions of the Egyptians, who took them into custody, before releasing them on Thursday morning.
A senior Israeli government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the German Press Agency
