Egyptian security forces opened fire Tuesday morning and killed two cross-border smugglers who apparently tried to bring “illegal goods” into Israel, security sources said.
According to Channel 10, which quoted an IDF source, bags of illegal drugs were found near the scene where smugglers crossing the border from Egypt were met by a second set of smugglers on the Israeli side.
It is not clear which smugglers were hit by the Egyptian gunfire, nor have the identities of any of the smugglers been made clear.
IDF soldiers reportedly fired warning shots after hearing the gunfire near the border town of Nitzana, and are investigating reports of smugglers being wounded in the shootout with Egyptian security personnel.
IDF soldiers have also recovered the bodies of the two dead smugglers. An investigation into the incident is underway.
Despite numerous efforts to plug the holes in the Israel’s long Sinai border with Egypt, incidents like this are not uncommon.
Of more concern to the security establishments in both nations are the efforts of regional terrorist proxies for Iran and now Daesh (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria) to move weapons, ammunition, money and operatives themselves) across the border as well.