Syria seizes weapons in disrupted smuggling attempt to Lebanon

Shafaq News/ The Ministry of Interior in the new Syrian administration announced, on Friday, that it successfully foiled an attempt to smuggle weapons and missiles into Lebanon.

The ministry said in a statement that “the operation was carried out after coordination with the intelligence service in Tartus and through continuous monitoring and surveillance.”

The ministry noted that the weapons were to be smuggled through illegal crossings, adding that “they succeeded in seizing firearms and rocket-propelled grenades that were en route to Lebanon.”

This comes days after the Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) Leader, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, confirmed that his country would not allow its territory to be used as a weapons transit point.

He also emphasized the regulation of legal crossings between the two countries, the closure of illegal ones, and the prevention of smuggling activities along the border.

According to Lebanese media outlets, earlier this week, the Syrian Military Operations Administration continued its efforts to close illegal crossings on the Syrian side of the Nahr Al-Kabir river, which began on Monday.

Syrian bulldozers are closing off several of these crossings by filling them in and constructing high earth embankments, following actions already taken by the Lebanese Army to close many at the border.

Some insiders believe the increasing demand for goods in Syria, particularly fuel and food supplies, has driven smuggling activities to their peak, especially as all legal crossings between the two countries are currently closed due to Israeli attacks that destroyed bridges over the river.

Farmers, industrialists, economists, and traders emphasize the need for both Lebanon and Syria to prioritize the reconstruction and reopening of key crossings, such as Al-Arida, Al-Aboudiyeh, and Qamar Bridge, which are vital economic lifelines for both nations.