IDF soldier lightly injured near Egyptian border
Army patrol thwarting smuggling attempt takes fire from Sinai; jeep damaged in incident
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An IDF soldier was lightly wounded Wednesday evening along the Israel-Egypt border after the army jeep he was seated in was struck by gunfire.
The jeep was fired upon by unknown gunmen situated across the border dividing Israel and Egypt, as Israeli troops were thwarting a smuggling attempt. Bullets struck and shattered the windshield and the soldier was cut by shards of glass. It was not clear from the initial reports who was responsible for the gunfire.
According to a military expert quoted by Walla News, the patrol vehicle was likely hit by stray shots, rather than targeted fire.
Last week, an Israeli naval vessel fired on two smuggling boats attempting to speed from Egypt to Gaza, injuring two people.
An IDF spokesperson said the vessels were being used for smuggling from Egypt to Gaza; Palestinian sources confirmed that they were smuggling cigarettes and tobacco.
After shooting at the boats, the IDF said it took fire from the Gaza coast.
There were no Israeli injuries, an army spokesperson said.
Two days earlier, Israeli soldiers stationed on the Egyptian border came under fire Monday afternoon.
No injuries were reported and the source of the gunshots near Nahal Lavan was unclear.
The IDF said the incident was under investigation.
Israel has built a 230-kilometer (140 miles) fence along its border with Egypt to halt the flow of illegal migrants and smugglers from the lawless Sinai Peninsula. The unchecked violence in the Sinai Peninsula occasionally reaches the Israeli frontier.
The Times of Israel Community.