Israeli forces foiled an attempted weapons smuggling operation Friday after detecting two drones crossing into Israeli territory from the western border, the Israel Defense Forces said.
According to the IDF, surveillance soldiers and the air control system identified two drones entering Israel in an effort to smuggle weapons. Forces from the Paran Brigade were dispatched to the area and intercepted both drones.
The military said the drones were carrying a total of six M-16 rifles. The seized weapons were transferred to security forces for further handling.
Earlier this month, the IDF reported intercepting another drone along the western border during a similar smuggling attempt. That drone was found to be carrying three M-16 rifles and 16 magazines.
During a Knesset committee discussion in October, officials revealed a sharp rise in drone-based smuggling attempts along the Egypt-Israel border. According to the data presented, nearly 900 drone smuggling incidents were recorded in the three months preceding the discussion.
The figures showed 896 smuggling attempts during that period, compared with 464 incidents during the same timeframe in 2024.