Tel Aviv, July 31 -- Two young men from northern Israel have been indicted for illegally crossing into Syria and smuggling a Kalashnikov rifle back into the country, police announced Thursday.

The suspects, aged 18 and 20, are residents of the Druze villages of Kisra and Beit Jann. According to police, they crossed the border into Syria on the night of July 16. Upon returning the next day, they were apprehended in a coordinated operation by police and army units.

During a search, authorities found a Kalashnikov rifle and magazine concealed in their belongings. Further investigation uncovered photos on one of the suspects' phones showing them posing with the weapon on Syrian soil.

Police said the two would be charged in the Nazareth Dis...