Friendly fire again: IDF soldiers injured during drug bust on Egyptian border

IDF forces successfully thwarted drug smuggling at the Egyptian border but accidentally injured two Israeli soldiers in the process.

By Aryeh Savir, TPS

Two Israeli Border Police were lightly injured, apparently by friendly fire, during an operation to thwart the smuggling of drugs from Egypt into Israel Wednesday night.

The IDF stated during the night, about nine drug smuggling operations took place while the smugglers fired massively towards Israeli territory.

IDF troops identified the source of fire and fired back to thwart the smuggling.

The forces thwarted the smuggling and seized about 400 kg of drugs with an estimated value of about NIS 8,000,000.

As a result of misidentification, two Border Police troops, members of an elite unit, were lightly wounded by friendly fire.

“The incident is being investigated,” the IDF stated.

Such incidents have occurred relatively frequently in recent months, often with an exchange of fire with the smugglers.

Israel in recent years has built a fence along the Egyptian border to block the flow of work migrants coming to the country from Africa through Egypt. The tall fence has also helped slow down the prolific smuggling trade from Egypt into Israel, mostly the work of local Bedouin tribes.

Israel has deployed Special Forces to contend with the smugglers, who often become violent when encountering Israeli interceptors.

Drug Arrestfriendly fireIDFIsrael-Egypt border