JERUSALEM, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli military said on Thursday that it intercepted a drone carrying M-16 rifles that crossed into Israeli territory from Egypt in an arms smuggling attempt.
In a statement, the military said that the drone was detected on Wednesday by army surveillance units and aerial control systems before being downed.
According to the statement, the rifles, which were located and seized by the Israeli troops, have been transferred to the police for further investigation.
Israel says it has faced a growing number of attempts to smuggle weapons into the country using drones.
In late 2025, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that he had ordered the Israel Defense Forces to declare the area along the Israel-Egypt border a closed military zone to halt a growing threat from drone-borne arms smuggling. ■
