Jordanian border forces clash with smugglers, killing four

By Tala Ramadan

DUBAI (Reuters) - Jordanian border forces clashed on Thursday with armed smuggling groups attempting to cross the northern border from Syria into Jordan, the Jordan Armed forces said in a statement.

The clashes resulted in the death of four smugglers, while the remaining individuals retreated into Syrian territory.

According to the statement, the smugglers had attempted to exploit poor weather conditions and dense fog to cross the border, but Jordanian forces "applied engagement rules to prevent their infiltration."

Large quantities of narcotics and weapons were seized and transferred to the relevant authorities, the armed forces said.

The amount of the seized drugs was not disclosed.

In January, Jordan and Syria agreed to form a joint security committee to secure their border, combat arms and drug smuggling and work to prevent the resurgence of Islamic State militants.

Western anti-narcotics officials say the addictive, amphetamine-type stimulant known as captagon has for years been mass-produced in Syria and that Jordan is a transit route to the oil-producing Gulf states.

Jordan's army has conducted several pre-emptive airstrikes in Syria since 2023 that Jordanian officials say targeted militias accused of links to the drug trade, as well as the militias' facilities.

(Reporting by Tala Ramadan; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)