RAFAH (AFP) – Egyptian security forces have located two tunnels used to smuggle goods and weapons into the Gaza Strip, a security official told AFP on Sunday.

“The two tunnels were found in deserted areas north of the Rafah border during routine patrols,” the official said.

“We have cordoned off the area before destroying the tunnels,” he said, adding that no arrests had been made.

The Gaza Strip, under a tight blockade since the Islamist Hamas seized power in the Palestinian enclave in 2007, relies on international aid and products smuggled through a network of tunnels linking it to Egypt.

Israel says the tunnels are also used to send in weapons.

Egypt, under pressure from Israel and the United States, has taken robust measures to crack down on smuggling into the impoverished and densely populated territory.