Egypt destroys 3 tunnels between Sinai and Gaza

The Egyptian army has destroyed three tunnels between the Gaza Strip and the Egyptian-controlled Sinai desert, military spokesman Colonel Tamer Al-Refae said yesterday.

In statements about the efforts of Egyptian border guards against “criminal gangs, smugglers and drug dealers,” Al-Refae noted that three tunnels were discovered and destroyed by the Egyptian army.

He also noted that the Egyptian army had caught many drug dealers in addition to hundreds of hashish, cigarettes and marijuana shipments across the country.

Al-Refae also noted that several smugglers were caught near the Gazan city of Rafah, but did not mention whether they were heading to Gaza or entering Egyptian territory.

The military spokesman said that the army’s efforts were targeting illegal activities that endanger Egyptian national security.

Since 2013, when the first freely-elected Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi was toppled by the army under current President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, the Egyptian army has been waging war on the tunnels between Egypt and Gaza.

The tunnels were used as a lifeline for the coastal enclave, which has been under a crippling Israeli siege since 2006.