Three Israeli soldiers killed in gunfire on border, ‘assailant Egypt cop’ neutralised

In a rare gunfire incident on the Egyptian border, two Israeli soldiers were killed, and an "assailant" was killed by troops, according to the Israeli army.The soldiers were stationed at a guard post near the border when the incident occurred.

Later, the Egyptian army said, a member of its security forces was fatally shot during a confrontation with Israeli forces near the border while allegedly "chasing" a drug smuggler.

Israeli army stated that the assailant responsible for the attack was an Egyptian policeman. The Israeli army further mentioned that a thorough investigation is being carried out in close collaboration with the Egyptian army.

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The army issued a statement confirming the deaths of the two soldiers, a man, and a woman, who were shot near the border.

"Two (Israeli) soldiers, a man and a woman, were killed by live fire adjacent to the border," an army statement said.

"Two soldiers were killed by live fire adjacent to the Egyptian border, and the third during an exchange of fire with an assailant in the area of the Paran Regional Brigade. An IDF NCO was also lightly injured.The assailant is an Egyptian policeman. An investigation is being conducted in full cooperation with the Egyptian army. IDF soldiers continue searching the area to rule out the presence of any additional assailants," the IDF said in a tweet.

The incidents took place between Mount Sagi and Mount Harif in the Negev desert. The military is currently investigating how the assailant managed to infiltrate Israel from Egypt.

Initially, the IDF withheld information about the soldiers' deaths until their families were notified. The identities of the soldiers have not been made public at this time. One of the soldiers killed in the initial attack was a female soldier.

Bardelas Battalion in IDF's Border Defense Corps

The IDF's Border Defense Corps, which is responsible for safeguarding Israel's borders with Jordan, Egypt, and the West Bank security barrier, includes five mixed-gender infantry units.

The Bardelas Battalion is specifically tasked with guarding the Egyptian border.

According to the IDF spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the male and female soldiers started their guard shift together on Friday night at a border post.

When they did not respond to radio calls on Saturday morning, an officer went to the scene and found both soldiers dead, as revealed by the IDF's initial investigation.

Another gunfire exchange

Later, there was another exchange of gunfire in the area where the initial attack occurred as troops conducted searches for the suspected assailant, which was later confirmed to be an Egyptian policeman

The IDF stated that during an encounter with a terrorist in Israeli territory, the suspect was engaged by troops and commanders and was shot and killed.

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During the clash with the attacker, one soldier was killed, and a non-commissioned officer sustained minor injuries, according to the IDF. Hagari suggested that the gunman killed in the afternoon clash was likely responsible for the earlier attack.

Search underway

The military is currently conducting ongoing searches in the area for any additional possible attackers. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant carried out an assessment of the situation with IDF chief Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi and other defense officials regarding the exchanges of fire.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office stated that he is receiving continuous updates on the situation at the scene.

Since the signing of a peace agreement in 1979, the Israel-Egypt border has remained relatively peaceful.

In recent years, Israel constructed a barrier along the border primarily intended to prevent the entry of African migrants and counter the activities of Islamic terrorists in Egypt's Sinai region.

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