“The officers were killed in 86 encounters with smugglers at various locations along the country’s borders. More than 90 percent of the encounters were with infiltrators and smugglers attempting to bring in weapons and narcotic substances across the southern borders,” spokesman of the Border Guards Col. Salem bin Saleh Al-Sulami said in a statement.

Al-Sulami added that 10 officers were injured during the operations.

He said the Border Guards rescued 62 people from drowning in 450 operations and dealt with 21 collision accidents and 16 sinking of vessels last year.

The statistics issued by the Border Guards showed a 46 percent increase in the seizure of narcotics, including a 34 percent rise in seizing hashish, 70 percent in foiling attempts to smuggle weapons, and 68 percent in the seizure of dynamite sticks. The forces also prevented illegal entry to the country across borders by 38 percent.

Border Guards Director General Lt. Gen. Zamim Al-Suwat said in a statement that the Border Guards’ operation plans laid out with the help of modern technology had contributed to a great extent in checking smuggling and infiltration attempts last year.

“Annual reports have been showing that the achievements of the Border Guards have been growing year after year,” he said.