IDF Soldiers Injured in “Violent Drug Smuggling Attempt” on Egyptian Border

October 22, 2014

2 min read

A shootout on Wednesday afternoon injured two IDF soldiers from the Carcal unit in what initially believed to be a terrorist attack from Egypt. The IDF clarified Wednesday evening that the incident was a confrontation with drug smugglers who opened fire on the soldiers’ patrol in the Mount Harif region.

The IDF said in a statement that the attack was a “violent drug smuggling attempt” which was foiled by the unit commander.

The smugglers fired rifles and an anti-tank missile at the patrol. The soldiers returned fire, and both the IDF and Egyptian military dispatched forces to the area. The two injured soldiers were evacuated to Soroka hospital in Be’er Sheva via helicopter and are said to be in moderate to serious condition.

Egyptian security forces initially reported that the al-Qaeda-linked Salafist jihadist group Ansar Bait al-Maqdis was responsible for the attack. However, the joint preliminary investigation by the IDF and Egyptian army showed that the drug smugglers fired at Israeli troops who had identified them as suspicious figures along the border.

The gunmen shot at troops from three different location, including a car, the army said. Earlier reports stated that anti-tank missiles and small arms fire were directed towards troops.

IDF soldiers returned fire and killed three of the drug smugglers. Kalashnikov rifles and bags of drugs were found at the scene, Ynet reported.

Army officials deployed large amount of forces to the area to prevent any infiltration into Israel. Nearby communities were put on lock-down following the incident.

The Israeli-Egypt border is protected by a high fence and advanced observation tools, as well as constant patrols and lookout points throughout the mountainous areas.

The Mount Harif region in the central Negev Desert, is about 112 kilometers (70 miles) from Eilat, and is one of the most remote locations on the Israeli-Egyptian border. The deep canyons in the region have often been utilized as smuggling routes for drugs and human trafficking.

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