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Egyptian police intercepted anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles that were apparently about to be smuggled to the Gaza Strip.

A weapons cache was discovered hidden in the Sinai Desert, approximately 50 miles south of of the Gaza border, Egyptian police said Saturday. The haul included some 30 shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles as well as anti-tank rockets, rifles and ammunition.

Palestinian terrorists in the Hamas-run Gaza regularly smuggle in arms from neighboring Egypt. Israel fears the contraband includes high-end ordnance that could exact serious casualties among its forces should there be a major sweep of the territory.

With U.S. help, Israel recently has been applying pressure on Egypt to crack down on the cross-border smuggling.

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