Two Israeli soldiers have been wounded in a shooting incident on the Israeli-Egyptian border. The wounded soldiers, a male and a female, served in the Caracal Battalion, responsible for border security.

The battalion, open to members of both sexes, was formed in 2000. About two-thirds of the battalion is female.

The battalion is named after the Caracal, or desert lynx, supposedly because there is not much difference between the male and the female.

Israel mostly female Caracal battalion
Male and female Israeli soldiers from the Caracal battalion gather to have their photograph taken during a 20km march in Israel's Negev desert, on May 29, 2014 Amir Cohen/Reuters
Israel mostly female Caracal battalion
A female Israeli soldier of the 33rd Caracal Battalion has camouflage paint applied to her face prior to a graduation march in the Negev desert, on October 3, 2013 Menahem Kahana/AFP
Israel mostly female Caracal battalion
A Caracal soldier trains in the Negev desert on the borders with Egypt and Jordan, on March 13, 2013 Ilia Yefimovich/Getty Images
Israel mostly female Caracal battalion
Female members of the Caracal battalion pose with their rifles ahead of a graduation march near the Israeli-Egyptian border on March 13, 2010 Ilia Yefimovich/Getty Images
Israel mostly female Caracal battalion
A female soldier from the Caracal battalion adjust her helmet during training near the Israeli-Egyptian border on December 14, 2010 Uriel Sinai/Getty Images

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack that wounded two members of the Caracal Battalion.

The frontier between Israel and Egypt is normally quiet. The two countries signed a peace accord 35 years ago and have close security cooperation.

Islamic militants in Egypt's lawless Sinai Peninsula have attempted to carry out attacks against Israel in recent years. In September 2012, an Israeli soldier was killed in a similar shooting. A year earlier, a series of coordinated attacks killed seven Israelis.

In September 2012, on what was her first combat engagement, a female member of the Caracal Battalion killed a terrorist, who was carrying an explosive belt.

Israel mostly female Caracal battalion
A female soldier from the Caracal battalion is seen in action during training near the Israeli-Egyptian border on December 14, 2010 Uriel Sinai/Getty Images
Israel mostly female Caracal battalion
The Caracal battalion undergo training near the Israeli-Egyptian border on December 14, 2010 Uriel Sinai/Getty Images
Israel mostly female Caracal battalion
An Israeli soldier from the Caracal battalion stands among backpacks after finishing a 20km march in the Negev desert on May 29, 2014 Amir Cohen/Reuters
Israel mostly female Caracal battalion
Soldiers from the Caracal battalion pose for a group shot during a night march near the Israeli-Egyptian border on March 13, 2010 Ilia Yefimovich/Getty Images
Israel mostly female Caracal battalion
Soldiers from the Caracal battalion rest at the end of a graduation march in the northern part of the Negev desert, on October 3, 2013 Menahem Kahana/AFP
Israel mostly female Caracal battalion
Members of the Caracal battalion rest after finishing a 20km march in the Negev desert, the end of their training, on May 29, 2014 Amir Cohen/Reuters
Israel mostly female Caracal battalion
An Israeli female soldier of the 33rd Caracal Battalion has camouflage applied to her face prior to a graduation march on March 13, 2013 Menahem Kahana/AFP
Israel mostly female Caracal battalion
Caracal soldiers pose for a selfie with their faces painted in camouflage on March 13 2013 Menahem Kahana/AFP
Israel mostly female Caracal battalion
An Israeli soldier of the Caracal battalion smiles during a march in the Negev desert, on February 14, 2013 Darren Whiteside/Reuters

The Israeli military said it has no indication yet who was behind the attack. It said it dispatched troops to the area to make sure no infiltration into its territory took place. In the meantime, it asked residents in the area to remain in their homes.

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