The Israeli army said early Tuesday that it had opened fire on around 20 “suspects,” suspected drug traffickers, heading toward southern Israel from neighboring Egypt.
• Also read: Gaza: Intense phase of war in the south “soon” over
“A few moments ago, about twenty suspects, some of them armed, arrived in the Negev Desert from Egyptian territory towards the border area with Israel, near the Nitzana border post,” the army said in a brief statement to the press.
“Soldiers operating in the area opened fire on the armed individuals and suspects were hit,” the army added, without giving the number of casualties.
In Cairo, an Egyptian security source told al-Qahera News TV that Egyptian forces had foiled an attempted drug smuggling attempt on the Israel-Egypt border in the same area.
According to this source, clashes occurred during this anti-drug operation and six smugglers were arrested.
The border between the two countries is generally quiet, although it is the scene of regular drug smuggling attempts, which in recent years have led to exchanges of fire between smugglers and Israeli soldiers stationed there.