EGYPTIAN ARMY: 521 TUNNELS TO GAZA CLOSED IN SEVEN MONTHS

MINA journalist in one of smuggling tunnels linked Egypt and Gaza (Photo: mirajnews.com)u

Rafah, 10 Sya’ban 1436/28 May 2015 (MINA) – Some 521 tunnels have been blocked between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, including 63 which range from one to 2.8 kilometres from the border, the Egyptian army revealed yesterday.

The report covering the period from October 2014 to April 2015 also revealed that border guards arrested 6,004 people, both Egyptians and of other nationalities, who were trying to sneak out of the country, Middle East Monitor quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA).

Additionally, the report said 6,097 weapons were seized. They included automatic pistols, submachine and standard guns, as well as rifle cartridges.

The Sinai Peninsula has seen a series of major military operations by Egyptian forces aimed at rooting-out militants conducting an insurgency against the central government, since the ouster of first freely elected president Mohamed Morsi.

As part of operations, Egypt has sought to shut down the complex and extensive network of smuggling tunnels to Gaza, used to transfer commercial goods and other daily needs.

Earlier this month, Cairo claimed the Egyptian army had killed 725 militants in operations the past six months.

As part of its crackdown in the Sinai, Egypt is working to establish a buffer zone along the border with Gaza. The buffer was initially planned to be 500 meters wide, but was later expanded by another 500 meters.

In establishing the buffer zone, Egypt has destroyed at least 1,220 homes belonging mostly to Palestinian Arabs in the city of Rafah, which straddles the border with Gaza.(T/R04/R03)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)