Violence in Egypt claims 9 lives

Nine people were killed in a shootout between smugglers and security forces near an Egyptian coastal town on the Mediterranean Sea.

Reuters reports that the violence took place in the town of Marsa Matrouh, roughly 110 miles west of the city of Alexandria. The area where the shootout took place is famed for its crystalline waters and a favorite of tourists visiting the area.

The shootout began when security forces tried to stop a vehicle they believed was loaded with weapons and explosives. As they tried to search the vehicle, gunshots rang out. In total, five police officers and four of the smugglers were killed.

Egyptian security officials claim the smugglers were trying to bring weapons and other supplies from Libya to Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. Libya is currently on the brink of becoming a failed state, drowning in weapons, a myriad of armed groups, and ever-shifting alliances.

The Sinai Peninsula is a largely lawless desert expanse. Many Islamist elements opposed to the Egyptian state after the military overthrow of the democratically elected Mohammed Morsi have set up shop in the Sinai. From the Sinai they often attack police and military outposts throughout Egypt.

The Egyptian authorities believe that Islamist groups in Egypt and Libya are trying to go beyond mutual sympathy with each others' causes, and establish a working relationship.

Last month, a similar incident on the Libyan border claimed the lives of 21 Egyptian border police.

The shooting came on the same day as the Egyptian government announced plans to dig another channel in the Suez Canal to increase ship traffic and generate more revenue for the state.

The viability of this project in a deteriorating security situation is an open question. In an effort to assuage these concerns, the government has said that the $4 billion, 44-mile project will be overseen by the military.