Israel’s Eilat airport shut down for 2 hours over security issues

Israel shut down its southern Eilat airport for two hours late Thursday as part of a "security assessment," according to BBC News.

The military said the rare closure was prompted by  "intelligence and other regional developments," the BBC reported.  

Eilat airport is located near the Israeli-Egyptian border and is frequented by tourists heading to the Red Sea, according to Reuters.

The area has been targeted by militants from the nearby Sinai peninsula in the past, said the BBC. 

The Los Angeles Times said the last time the military closed the airport was in April, but violence in the Sinai area has been on the rise in recent months. Egypt said Wednesday that its forces had killed 60 militants there, according to Reuters. 

No other explanation or details on the closure were provided.

It was not clear whether or not the move was related to the United States' recent closure of 19 diplomatic posts across the Middle East and Africa.