Jerusalem, Jun 3 (EFE).- Three Israeli soldiers were shot dead at the border with Egypt on Saturday morning, the Israeli army said, adding that the assailant, an Egyptian police officer, had been \u201cneutralized.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Three IDF soldiers were killed today,\u201d the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTwo soldiers were killed by live fire adjacent to the Egyptian border, and the third during an exchange of fire with an assailant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe assailant is an Egyptian policeman,\u201d the statement added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The incident is being investigated and searches were being conducted in the area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The border between Israel and Egypt is largely peaceful, although there are frequent attempts to smuggle drugs across the separation fence, leading to sporadic exchanges of fire between Israeli soldiers and traffickers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Egyptian Army also frequently attacks drug traffickers as well as Islamist groups in the northern Sinai desert, sometimes resulting in accidental cross-border shootings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hours before the first shooting incident on Saturday, Israeli troops foiled an attempt to smuggle drugs across the border, seizing contraband worth an estimated Sh1.5 million ($400,000), according to military officials. EFE<\/p>\n\n\n\n
sga\/ig\/ks<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"