(Ha'aretz) Amos Harel - The Israel Defense Forces will soon be deploying large numbers of troops from elite units to the area of the Egyptian border as part of a bid to deal more effectively with arms smuggling from Sinai into the territories. A senior military source estimated that huge quantities of arms were being channeled from Sinai into the West Bank. IDF officials have identified a Palestinian attempt to boost smuggling to the West Bank, with the aim of bringing in not only assault rifles, but also arms that "tip the balance" - anti-tank rockets, anti-aircraft missiles, military-grade explosives, and materials to manufacture Kassam rockets. The IDF is currently under the impression that the extent of the above-ground smuggling operations along the section of the border south of Rafah exceeds that of the operations being carried out through the tunnels along the Philadelphi route.
2005-04-26 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive