Egypt beefs up security at border with Gaza

"The security forces have deployed along the entire border... following threats by Israel... to drop 'smart' bombs in the Philadelphi corridor," the agency said, referring to a strip along the border from which Israeli troops withdrew a year ago.

The security deployment was to protect Egyptians living in the border area, MENA added.

Egyptian newspapers Saturday published reports which had earlier appeared in the Israeli media that Israel planned to drop bunker-busting "smart" bombs in the Philadelphi corridor to destroy tunnels it says are being used to smuggle high-grade weapons into the Gaza Strip from Egypt.

Army chief of staff Dan Halutz was earlier this week quoted by officials as telling parliament's foreign affairs and defence committee that the army had in the past few weeks discovered and destroyed 15 tunnels on the border between Egypt and Gaza.

An army spokesman in Jerusalem refused to comment on "in-camera remarks made by the chief of staff".

Israeli officials have repeatedly called on Egypt to take more effective action on its side of the border to clamp down on contraband.

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