Exclusive: How did arms from Iraq reach Syria for Hezbollah?
Shafaq News- Baghdad
A shipment of weapons, missiles, and drones crossed from Iraq into Syria hidden inside an oil tanker declared as heavy fuel oil before Syrian authorities seized it and said the cargo was bound for Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
Read more: Syria seizes Hezbollah-bound weapons at Iraqi border
A senior Iraqi security source told Shafaq News the tanker left Iraqi territory by land about nine days earlier, its opening closed and fully sealed by customs, with instructions not to open it before reaching its final destination, ostensibly to avoid having the shipment rejected by the receiving state.
The tanker crossed the border through the al-Tanf crossing, according to the source, “exploiting the absence of specialized sonar equipment capable of detecting weapons or prohibited materials inside liquid tankers at the crossing.” The weapons also evaded K9 police dogs because they had been wrapped in insulating bags and submerged in dense heavy fuel oil to make detection more difficult.
The tanker cleared the Iraqi side but was found, upon inspection on the Syrian side, to be loaded with large quantities of weapons, missiles, and drones concealed “professionally to disguise the cargo and evade monitoring,” according to the account.
The source described the operation as a "serious security breach" requiring an urgent investigation to determine the circumstances of the incident, hold negligent parties accountable, and strengthen inspection and monitoring at border crossings, given the risk to the country's security and the reputation of its crossings.
