Egypt finds two tunnels at Gaza border, three held

CAIRO, Oct 16 (Reuters) Egypt has found two smuggling tunnels under its border with the Gaza Strip, arresting three Palestinians found inside one of the passages, security sources said today.

Egyptian authorities found a 950-metre tunnel today linking the Egyptian border town of Rafah to the Palestinian town of the same name, the sources said.

They also found another tunnel yesterday evening near the border with Gaza, and uncovered large quantities of ammunition, 5 kg of heroin and a bomb, the sources added.

Police routinely find explosives and ammunition in the Sinai peninsula, sometimes hidden in tunnels near the Gaza border.

Israel has accused Egypt of not doing enough to stop smuggling. However, Egypt has said that weapons, ammunition and drugs smuggling through the tunnels has dropped since the Islamist movement Hamas took control of the Gaza strip in June.

REUTERS GL RK1530