IDF kills drug smuggler on Syrian border

Another Syrian wounded in the incident; 15kg of heroin and cocaine found; two Israelis also caught.

Golan Heights 224.88 (photo credit: Matanya Tausig)
Golan Heights 224.88
(photo credit: Matanya Tausig)
Army and police forces shot at two Syrian men along the border with Syria overnight Friday, killing one and wounding the other. Military sources said the men were drug smugglers. 15 kilograms of heroin and cocaine were found at the scene. Security forces spotted the suspected smugglers around midnight while operating near the border in the Golan Heights. The army said that the men had come up to the border fence and were effectively inside Israeli territory, which continues some distance beyond the fence. Concerned that the men may be armed, the troops then fired at them. Some time later, two Israeli citizens from Majdal Shams were arrested by police in connection with the smuggling attempt. An army spokesman said the wounded man was taken to hospital. He added that the two Syrian men would likely be repatriated, but was unsure of when this would happen. AP contributed to this report.