Israeli military says it downed drone smuggling weapons from Egypt to Israel

DUBAI (Reuters) -Israel’s military said on Thursday it shot down a drone smuggling weapons from Egyptian territory to Israel on Wednesday.

However, two Egyptian security officials dismissed the claim, stating that Egyptian border patrols had reported no evidence of weapons smuggling into Gaza or Israel on Wednesday.

Israeli officials have said during the war in Gaza that Palestinian militant group Hamas used tunnels running under the border into Egypt’s Sinai region to smuggle arms.

Egypt says it destroyed tunnel networks leading to Gaza years ago and created a buffer zone and border fortifications that prevent smuggling.

Earlier in October, the Israeli military also said it foiled a weapon smuggling attempt from Egypt after downing a drone carrying guns and bullets.

(Reporting by Jana Choukeir and Ahmed Mohamed Hassan; writing by Mohamed Ezz; Editing by Alex Richardson and Ros Russell)