Three Israeli troopers have been killed in a significant incident on the Egyptian border on Saturday morning.

The our bodies of two troopers, a person and a lady, had been discovered round 8.30am native time; the third soldier, a person, was killed in a firefight throughout the ensuing manhunt.

It occurred inside Israeli territory and is believed to have occurred at shut vary. The lifeless gunman has been confirmed as an Egyptian policeman.

A number of hours earlier, round 2.30am on Saturday, a significant cross-border drug smuggling operation was thwarted by Israeli safety in the identical space, close to Nitzana.

Around $400,000 price of contraband was seized - it is nonetheless unclear whether or not the 2 incidents are linked. An investigation is ongoing.

Following stories of pictures fired round 6am, the our bodies of the Israeli troopers had been found at a guard publish after they did not reply radio calls.

A gunman was recognized, encircled and killed - Israeli troopers had been additionally injured throughout the operation.

Israeli army officers say they're in "full coordination" with Egyptian authorities, and it's "ongoing and good". There is not any suggestion the Egyptian army was concerned.

The Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant held a safety evaluation with the IDF chief of workers and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been saved knowledgeable of occasions.

Although the 2 international locations have fought wars previously, relations have been fairly good lately since a peace settlement was signed in 1979. It's a decade because the final Israeli fatality alongside the border.

Israel has constructed a big border fence over the previous decade, to regulate migration from Africa and stop infiltration by Islamic State militants.

Despite excessive safety, smugglers recurrently attempt to get medication, weapons and different unlawful items into Israel - one smuggler was shot and killed by Israeli forces in an incident final yr.