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In this file photo provided by the Israeli Defense Ministry on 19 August 2011 shows Defense Minister Ehud Barak (R) as he meets with soldiers along the Egyptian border after 'terror' attacks earlier against army and civilians in the area north of the resort town of Eila

Jerusalem - Israel’s defense minister has formally apologized to Egypt for the killing of six Egyptian police officers during a cross-border shootout with militants suspected of carrying out deadly attacks in Israel.

Ehud Barak issued the apology after a joint Israeli-Egyptian investigation.

Egypt’s Foreign Minister Mohamed Amr said Wednesday that Israel expressed “deep regret and apology” and issued condolences to the families of the police officers shot by Israeli security forces along its shared border in August.

The incident sparked a diplomatic spat between the two countries.

Barak said in a statement that the militants who killed eight Israelis prior to the shootout had “intended to murder Israeli civilians and ruin the peaceful relations between Israel and Egypt.”