Up to 5,000 Egyptian state security police deployed near the Egypt-Gaza border last night after reports of a possible Israeli "smart bomb" attack on suspected smuggling tunnels.
Egypt's official Middle East News Agency confirmed reports of the deployment this morning.
"The security forces have deployed along the entire border ... following threats by Israel ... to drop 'smart' bombs in the Philadelphi Corridor," the agency said. "The security deployment was to protect Egyptians living in the border area."
Initial reports had indicated the deploying forces were Egyptian soldiers, but officials stressed that was not the case, and the forces consisted of state security police, a paramilitary-like force often used in Egypt to maintain order.
The security police usually are stationed in towns in the Sinai peninsula. They were redeployed yesterday to fan out across the northern peninsula, patrolling roads in and out of border towns and setting up checkpoints, an Egyptian interior ministry official said in Cairo.
Police also were launching raids on suspected militant hideouts as well, he added on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media.
Last week, Israel said it had uncovered 15 tunnels burrowed under the Egypt-Gaza border, where militants are suspected of smuggling weapons and other contraband to use in attacks against Israel.
The Israeli newspaper Maariv reported on Friday that Israel planned to use precision-guided weapons to destroy the tunnels.