The Defense Ministry contractor killed in a terrorist attack along Israel's southern border early Monday has been identified as Saeed Fashafshe, a 35-year-old Israeli Arab resident of Haifa.

Fashafshe, who was married and a father of four, worked for a company owned by his brother which was contracted by Defense Ministry for jobs along the Egyptian border.

An initial investigation revealed that three terrorists penetrated the fence along the border between the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula, placed an explosive device on Philadelphi Strip near Be'er Milka, and waited for Israeli vehicles to pass by.

Several minutes later, the device exploded onto one of the vehicles, and the gunmen opened fire. They also fired an RPG rocket, which missed its target.

As a result of the shooting, one of vehicles rolled down a hill, wounding Pasafshe. He died of his wounds shortly afterward.

Pashafshe's cousin, Amar, said that Fashafshe spoke to his brother, Maher, at about 6 A.M., and told him they were being shot at, when the phone call disconnected.

Amar, who also works for the company, described Fashafshe as "a great guy and father of four small children," adding that "he has already worked for the company for seven years. He lives in a kibbutz in the south and comes home to Haifa on the weekends."

Amar also said that, while the two were always aware of the dangers involved with their work, "we never talked about it."

Read this article in Hebrew.

