El Arish, Egypt — Egyptian security forces yesterday destroyed five underground tunnels used to smuggle cars, petrol and other goods into the Gaza Strip.
Egyptian security officials said they destroyed the tunnels with explosive blasts only after confirming that no one was underground at the time the demolitions took place.
The move is part of the most recent efforts to clamp down on the smuggling lines to the Palestinian territory. Earlier this week, the security forces also announced a large-scale crackdown against weapon caches in the adjoining Sinai Peninsula.
A blockade on the Gaza Strip was tightened after Hamas overtook the territory in 2007. Tunnels from Egypt to Gaza are believed to be used to transport weapons but are also a lifeline providing needed basic goods to the 1.5 million people in the enclave. — dpa