TEL AVIV, Israel — A shootout in southern Israel killed three Israeli soldiers and an Egyptian police officer Saturday, in a rare instance of deadly violence along the country's normally peaceful border with Egypt.
The Israeli Defense Force said that three soldiers were killed in two incidents inside Israel's borders. The IDF said the gunman was an Egyptian law enforcement officer who first opened fire at Israeli troops in the early hours of Saturday morning.
One of the soldiers killed was identified as Lina Ben nun, 19, who was promoted to the position of sergeant after her death. The two other soldiers have been transported to hospital. The military continues to search the area.
At 12 p.m. (5 a.m. ET) soldiers combing the area identified and shot the attacker. One IDF soldier was killed in the shootout, and a non-commissioned officer lightly injured, the IDF said in a statement.
"At noon, during the searches, IDF soldiers identified the assailant in Israeli territory, and an exchange of fire was instigated between the assailant and the soldiers. The soldiers shot and neutralized the suspect," the IDF said in a statement.
In an earlier briefing to the press, an IDF spokesperson said that they were investigating links to an earlier drug smuggling attempt at the border, which involved fired weapons. The attempt involved a shipment of goods worth about 1.5 million shekels ($400,100).
Israeli authorities added that they had no prior intelligence of either event, and did not conduct any aerial attacks in response.
“I am saddened by the fall of the three fighters in the incident at the Egyptian border. The IDF soldiers carried out their tasks with dedication but the event ended in dire results,” said Israel's defense minister Yoav Gallant. He added that he had assessed the situation alongside the military’s chief of staff.
The exchange of fire took place inside Israel but close to Israel's 125-mile border with Egypt. Though there have been incidents of goods-smuggling within the past year, they do not normally result in violence or injuries.
Israel built a fence along the porous border a decade ago in an attempt to halt the entry of African migrants and Islamic militants it said were active in Egypt’s Sinai desert.
Paul Goldman reported from Tel Aviv, Israel, Leila Sackur reported from London.