Jordan army clashes with groups of smugglers near Syria border

A picture taken during a tour origanized by the Jordanian Army shows soldiers patrolling along the border with Syria to prevent trafficking, on February 17, 2022. (AFP)
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CAIRO: The Jordanian army said on Saturday that its border guards clashed with drug smugglers during an operation that foiled the movement of large quantities of drugs across the border from Syria.

“Since 2 a.m. on Saturday morning, armed clashes have been taking place between Jordanian border guard forces and large armed groups of smugglers on the Kingdom’s northern border,” the army announced in a statement carried on . 

The clashes led to the injury and arrest of a number of smugglers, the statement said, as well as “thwarting smuggling of large quantities of drugs and weapons.”

It added that the armed groups are being expelled into Syria.

Drug trafficking from Syria into Jordan is becoming “organized” with smugglers stepping up operations and using sophisticated equipment including drones, Jordan’s army previously said, warning of a shoot-to-kill policy.