3 Israeli soldiers killed in gun battle at Egyptian border, military officials say

A gun battle involving an Egyptian police officer in southern Israel along the Egyptian border left three Israeli soldiers dead Saturday, the army said. It was a rare instance of deadly violence along the frontier.

Lt. Col. Richard Hecht, an army spokesperson, said the fighting began overnight when soldiers thwarted a drug-smuggling attempt across the border.

He said several hours later, two soldiers in a guard post were shot and killed. Their bodies were found after the shooting, when they did not respond to radio communications.