A 25-year-old Israeli drug smuggler was killed on Sunday evening in an exchange of fire with Mista'arvim undercover Border Police officers.
While the Border Police officers were working to prevent the smuggling of drugs in the Kadesh Barnea area, a smuggling operation involving Egyptian and Israeli smugglers was identified.
At one point, fire was opened at the officers, and an exchange of gunfire subsequently erupted between the officers and the smugglers on the Egyptian side of the border. One of the Israeli smugglers was killed in the shootout.
The smuggler was then driven in a van towards Route 222, near the IDF’s Tze'elim base. Magen David Adom paramedics who were called to the scene pronounced him dead.