Egyptian soldiers on Wednesday morning put a bullet in the back of a 24-year-old Sudanese man's head as the desperate refugee from the war-torn Darfur region made a dash for the Israeli border.

Three other Darfur refugees accompanying the victim were arrested by the Egyptians.

Egyptian troops have killed at least 20 African refugees trying to reach Israel this year alone. In at least one incident late last year the Egyptians even threatened to shoot Israeli soldiers who were trying to help refugees escape from their Arab pursuers.

Thousands of Sudanese refugees from Darfur have been in Egypt for years. Recently, many have begun making the long difficult trek across the Sinai desert to escape the oppression and discrimination they experience at Egyptian hands.