Officials in Israel have confirmed at least five rockets were fired toward the southern beach resort of Eilat earlier this morning.

While no casualties in Israel were reported, as many as five people were injured in the Jordanian port of Aqaba, officials added.

No damage in Eilat was reported from the rockets, which were launched at around 4:45 GMT this morning.

At this time, a Grad-type rocket exploded into Aqaba, less than ten kilometres from Eilat, injuring five people, one of them seriously, Jordanian officials said.

The rocket is believed to have landed near the InterContinental hotel in the city, with the area now sealed off.

The rockets are believed to have come from south-east of Aqaba – suggesting they may have been fired from Egypt’s Sinai desert.

A further two rockets landed in the Red Sea, said Israeli officials, while Egypt has denied its territory was used for the attacks.

An Egyptian official explained the country had a heavy security presence in the Sinai Peninsula, particularly close to the border.

No suspicious activity had been reported anywhere in the area, he added.

However, ongoing disputes with the local Bedouin population in region have made policing difficult, prompting some to question the validity of the Egyptian denial.

Eilat Attack

Rockets were fired toward Eilat and Aqaba from Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula earlier this year, in an attack attributed to Islamist militants.

These attacks prompted Israel to warn against travel in the peninsula.

Eilat was also hit in January 2007 by a suicide bomber, killing three people.