SAM-7 missiles seized in eastern Syria smuggling bust

• Syrian authorities foil attempt to smuggle anti-aircraft missiles from Deir ez-Zor.
• Operation highlights post-Assad push to tighten security and curb arms trafficking.

Syria’s Interior Ministry announced that security forces had thwarted an attempt to smuggle anti-aircraft missiles in the eastern city of Al-Bukamal, near the Iraqi border, seizing weapons that had been hidden inside a residential house in preparation for their removal from the country.

In a statement, the ministry said it had received “precise intelligence” indicating that anti-aircraft missiles were concealed inside a home in Al-Bukamal, a city in the countryside of Deir ez-Zor that lies close to the Al-Bukamal–Al-Qaim border crossing with Iraq.

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Targeted raid

Acting on the information, security units carried out what the ministry described as a carefully planned raid, which resulted in the seizure of SAM-7 surface-to-air missiles, a shoulder-fired weapon system capable of targeting low-flying aircraft.

The ministry did not specify the intended destination of the missiles or identify the group behind the smuggling attempt.

“All seized weapons have been confiscated, and investigations are under way to pursue everyone involved, arrest them, and bring them to justice”, the statement said.

Border security focus

Al-Bukamal has long been considered a sensitive area due to its strategic location on Syria’s eastern border and its role as a transit point for people, goods, and illicit trafficking during years of conflict.

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The Interior Ministry said the operation reflects its commitment to combating smuggling and all illegal activities, and to taking “all necessary measures to ensure the country’s security and stability.”

Post-Assad security drive

The announcement comes as Syria’s new administration seeks to consolidate control following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s government in late 2024. On December 8, 2024, Syrian opposition forces entered Damascus, declaring the end of Assad’s rule, which began in 2000 after he succeeded his father, Hafez al-Assad, who ruled from 1970.

Since then, authorities have stepped up efforts to rein in weapons trafficking, pursue remnants of the former regime, and crack down on organized crime, including the drug trade that expanded during the final years of Baath Party rule.

Officials say preventing the spread of heavy and advanced weapons remains a top priority, warning that such arms pose a serious threat to internal security and regional stability if allowed to circulate across borders.