Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said on Monday that the deadly attack launched earlier by militants across the Egyptian border showed the neighboring country's deteriorating control of Sinai.

"We see here a disturbing deterioration in Egypt's control of Sinai," Barak told his Polish counterpart Tomasz Siemoniak at a meeting in Tel Aviv on Monday.

The defense minister made the remarks as Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood claimed victory in a landmark presidential run-off.

Barak said while waiting for the official announcement of the election results, Israel expects Egypt's next leader "to take responsibility for all of Egypt's international commitments, including the peace treaty with Israel and the security arrangements in Sinai."

A group of gunmen crossed into Israel from Egypt early Monday morning and carried out a combined shooting, bombing and rocket- propelled grenade attack against two vehicles of Israeli workers.

One person was killed and several others wounded in the attack, according to Israel Defense Forces foreign desk chief, Lt.-Col. Avital Leibovitch.

The victim was identified as a 36-year-old Israeli Arab, according to Army Radio. Israeli troops were dispatched to the area and killed two of the three gunmen.

As of noon, Israeli troops were still patrolling the border area and schools and roads near the 240-km borderline remained closed.

There are still gaps in the electronically-monitored five-meter- high fence, whose construction is due to complete by the end of the year, Leibovitch said.