Soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces’ 80th Division thwarted 130 drone-assisted smuggling attempts along the border with Egypt last month, the military announced on Monday.
“Attempts to smuggle weapons, drugs, and various criminal items into Israeli territory have increased significantly in recent months,” according to the IDF.
About 85 weapons were confiscated, including two machine guns, 16 long-barreled weapons and 66 pistols, the statement continued.
The success was credited to “extensive preparations, intelligence-gathering efforts, and the use of advanced electronic warfare systems to disrupt, block, and detect the UAVs,” the statement added.
A designated operations center will open in the coming weeks to improve and coordinate the flow of information between intelligence units and troops in the field, according to the military.
“The 80th Division continues to operate at all times to prevent hostile acts of sabotage, with the goal of safeguarding the security of Israeli civilians and maintaining stability in the arena and along the border,” the statement concluded.
Earlier this month, Israel declared the area along its 130-mile border with Egypt a closed military zone to combat smuggling.
