Jordanian army strikes drug and arms sites along northern border

• Jordan says it carried out air strikes on drug and weapons smuggling sites along its northern border, with Syrian media reporting strikes in Sweida.

The Jordan Armed Forces said on Sunday it carried out air strikes targeting sites used by drug and weapons traffickers along its northern border, in what it described as a deterrence operation.

In a statement, the military said the strikes were conducted at dawn against multiple sites used by smuggling networks operating along the frontier, without explicitly naming Syria.

Syrian media reports strikes in Sweida

Syrian state television reported that air strikes believed to be carried out by Jordan targeted a site containing weapons and drugs in Sweida Governorate.

Citing local sources, it said warplanes hit a compound controlled by armed groups in the town of Shahba, according to Agence France-Presse.

Intelligence-led operation targets factories and warehouses

The Jordanian military said the operation was based on intelligence identifying factories, facilities and warehouses used by traffickers as hubs for launching smuggling operations into Jordan.

It said the targets were struck with “high precision” to prevent the flow of drugs and weapons across the border.

Surge in smuggling attempts raises concern

The army said trafficking groups have adopted new tactics, exploiting weather conditions and regional developments to carry out operations.

It added that attempts to smuggle narcotics and weapons have risen significantly, posing a growing challenge for border forces.

Jordan vows continued pre-emptive action

The military said it would continue to take “decisive and deterrent pre-emptive action” against any threats to the kingdom’s security and sovereignty.

Jordan regularly reports foiling drug smuggling attempts along its 375-kilometre border with Syria, particularly involving Captagon pills, which have been widely trafficked in the region.

According to Jordanian authorities, eight members of the country’s anti-narcotics unit were killed in clashes with traffickers in 2024.