Shafaq News/ Syrian security forces clashed with armed smuggling groups near theLebanese border last week as part of a sweeping operation to curb drug and armstrafficking, a Syrian official said on Tuesday.
MouayadAl-Salama, head of the western region in Syria’s Border SecurityAdministration, explained in a statement that “clashes erupted in the villagesof Hawik, Jarmash, Wadi Al-Hourani, and Akoum during a security sweep aimed atsecuring the country’s western frontier.” He accused Hezbollah-linkedgroups of controlling smuggling routes and fueling the illegal trade.
“Theborder had become a corridor for trafficking illicit drugs and weapons,” Al-Salamaclaimed, blaming the previous Syrian regime for “allowing the expansion ofsmuggling networks in coordination with Hezbollah.”
Despiteborder skirmishes, Al-Salama denied that Syrian forces had targeted Lebaneseterritory, instead alleging that Hezbollah fighters had shelled Syrian securityunits. “Our operations were strictly limited to Syrian villages near theborder, targeting armed smuggling gangs and their collaborators,” he noted.
“Abroader security plan has been launched to secure the border while ensuring thesafety of local communities.”
As partof the security sweep, Syrian forces reportedly seized cannabis farms, Captagonproduction facilities, and counterfeit currency printing sites, according toSyria’s state-run SANA news agency. Authorities also confiscated largequantities of narcotics and weapons intended for smuggling into Lebanon.
Tensionsflared on Sunday as the Lebanese army responded to cross-border shelling andgunfire from the Syrian side, with clashes intensifying in the Hermel region.Several Lebanese civilians were injured, prompting President Joseph Aoun toorder military action while engaging in diplomatic talks with Syria’s interimpresident, Ahmad Al-Sharaa, to prevent further escalation.
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