The Jordanian army announced today, Monday, the seizure of weapons and drugs following clashes with armed drug traffickers on the border with Syria in the early hours of the day. Officials stated that the militants are linked to Iran-backed armed groups seeking to undermine the security of the country. The army reported that the infiltrators fled across the border after wounding several soldiers. The statement mentioned that the seized weapons included automatic rifles and rockets.
Jordanian officials, along with their western allies, claim that the Iranian-backed Lebanese Hezbollah group and armed factions controlling a significant part of southern Syria are responsible for the sharp increase in drug and arms smuggling. Hezbollah denies these accusations, and Iran claims these allegations are part of Western conspiracies against the country.
The army's statement indicated that "recent days have seen an increase in the number of these operations, shifting from attempts at infiltration and smuggling to armed clashes, aimed at forcefully crossing the border by targeting border guard forces."
The army affirmed that it "is monitoring the movements of these groups and their attempts to destabilize national security and will take all necessary measures to deter and pursue them wherever they may be." UN experts and American officials say that the illicit drug trade funds the spread of Iran-aligned armed groups and government-affiliated paramilitary forces that have emerged from over a decade of conflict in Syria.
