Two air strikes against drug smugglers in the Suwayda countryside
On the night of Thursday-Friday, the countryside of the Syrian Suwayda Governorate bordering Jordan was subjected to two air strikes, which sources suggested were carried out by the Jordanian Air Force, as part of the pursuit of drug smugglers.
Reuters quoted Jordanian and regional intelligence sources as saying that Jordan launched air strikes inside Syria, targeting suspected warehouses and hideouts of drug smugglers.
The sources said that the planes bombed a house suspected of being a major drug dealer in the village of Al-Shaab, while the other strike hit warehouses near the village of Al-Ghariya.
Reuters quoted Rayan Marouf, editor-in-chief of the Syrian news site Suwayda 24, which follows the war on drugs, as saying that a column of smoke was seen from the border area shortly after the bombing.
Marouf added that the first strike targeted a major drug dealer linked to Iranian armed groups, while the other raid bombed a farm where drugs were stored.
In the absence of an official statement, the Jordanian “Al-Mamlaka” channel, on Friday, quoted an “informed source” confirming that Jordan carried out the two air strikes on sites inside Syrian territory “as part of pursuing drug smugglers who export poisons to Jordan.”
Smoke rising after a raid on the As-Suwayda countryside (Syrian Observatory for Human Rights)
Speaking to Al-Mamlaka TV, the source stressed that the raids only target people linked to drug traffickers.
The source reiterated that Jordan “will not hesitate to take any measures to protect its interests and the lives of its children.”
Recently, the border area between Jordan and Syria has witnessed smuggling activity by drug smugglers.
The Director of Military Media in the Jordanian Armed Forces, Brigadier General Mustafa Al-Hayari, previously confirmed to Al-Mamlaka that Jordan is facing a frantic campaign by drug traffickers and arms smugglers.
Al-Hayari said that the armed forces are performing their mission ably on all fronts, whether on the northern front of Jordan or even on all fronts and inside Jordan, noting that this year witnessed a noticeable increase in the insistence on drug smuggling using weapons.
Jordanian border guards in the north (archive)
The army intensified its campaign against drug traffickers after prolonged clashes last month with dozens of infiltrators from Syria linked to factions allied with Iran, who were carrying large quantities and crossed the border with weapons and explosives.
Jordanian officials, as well as Western allies, say that Lebanese Hezbollah and other factions allied with Iran, which control a large part of southern Syria, are behind the increase in drug and weapons smuggling.
Iran and Hezbollah deny these accusations and say they are part of Western plots against the country. Syria denies collusion with armed groups allied with Iran and linked to the Syrian army and security forces.
Jordanian officials say that the Kingdom has received promises to receive more American military aid to enhance security on the border, as Washington has provided about one billion dollars to establish border points since the start of the Syrian conflict in 2011.
UN experts and US and European officials say the illicit drug trade funds the proliferation of Tehran-allied factions and pro-government paramilitary forces, which has resulted from the conflict in Syria that has been ongoing for more than 10 years.
Washington and Western officials in the field of drug control confirm that Syria has become the main location in the region for the drug trade, which is worth billions of dollars, and Jordan has become a major route for the crossing of Syrian-made amphetamine, known as Captagon, to the Gulf states.
2024-01-05 15:42:06
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