An Egyptian police official says 34 African migrants have been arrested in separate incidents in the Sinai peninsula heading to the border with Israel to try and cross it illegally.

The official says eight Eritreans and nine Ethiopians were caught on pickup trucks belonging to Bedouin traffickers early on Friday near the town of Nekhil, about 250 miles (400 kilometers) east of the capital, Cairo.

The Bedouins fled from the scene on foot.

The official said smaller groups of migrants were caught a few miles south of Rafah border crossing and in central Sinai. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.

Many migrants seeking political asylum and jobs try to cross into Israel with the help of Bedouin traffickers.