Regional intelligence sources revealed that Jordanian aircraft carried out four strikes inside Syria on Tuesday, marking the second such raid in a week targeting what are suspected to be farms and hideouts of drug traffickers linked to Iran. The Jordanian military has escalated its campaign against drug traffickers following clashes last month with dozens of individuals believed to have ties to Iran-aligned armed groups who were carrying large amounts of weapons and explosives across the border from Syria.
The sources confirmed reports from the Syrian news site Sweida 24 about three strikes that targeted prominent drug traffickers in the towns of Al-Shaab and Arman in the Sweida Governorate near the Jordan-Syria border. The fourth strike hit a farm near the village of Al-Malah. Last Thursday, Jordan targeted similar sites in Sweida, where officials suspect significant smuggling operations are taking place.
Civil activist and researcher Rayan Maarouf stated, "The Jordanians seem to be targeting farms suspected of storing drugs before they are smuggled across the border, as well as the homes and hideouts of known drug traffickers." Maarouf, who is the editor-in-chief of Sweida 24, added, "The recent strikes indicate that Jordan is intensifying its war on drug traffickers."
According to local sources cited by the Sweida 24 website, there are unconfirmed reports of three fatalities, including a prominent local drug trafficker. Jordanian officials stated that the kingdom has received promises of American military assistance to improve security, with the United States having already provided around one billion dollars to establish border posts since the start of the Syrian conflict in 2011.
Experts from the United Nations and American and European officials have stated that the illicit drug trade finances Iran-aligned armed factions and pro-government militia forces in Syria that have emerged during the ongoing conflict, which has lasted for over a decade. Officials in drug enforcement from the U.S. and the West say that war-torn Syria has become the main hub in the region for a multi-billion dollar drug trade, with Jordan serving as a major transit route for Syrian-manufactured amphetamines known as Captagon to wealthy Gulf states.
