Three suspected traffickers were killed on the Egypt-Israel border Thursday as they attempted to smuggle across 300 kilogrammes of assorted narcotics, Egyptian army spokesman Gharib Abdel Hafez said.

It was the second deadly clash on the border this week between the security forces and suspected drug traffickers.

On Tuesday, one suspected smuggler was killed and six arrested south of the Al-Awja (Nitzana) crossing, where humanitarian aid is inspected by Israeli personnel before being delivered to Gaza.

An Israeli army spokesman said troops opened fire on "approximately 20 suspects, including several that were armed", heading towards southern Israel from Egyptian territory.

The Egyptian army said that foiled smuggling attempt involved 147 kilogrammes of drugs.

The two countries, which signed a peace treaty in 1979, share a mostly calm border, with anti-smuggling operations causing occasional exchanges of fire.