Four killed in Syria-Jordan border smuggling operation

Four people were killed in clashes between the Jordanian army and alleged drug gangs on the border with Syria, according to reports. 

Heavy gunfire along the border of Suweida province was reported on Friday evening by many local media outlets, as the army tried to stop an operation bringing drugs into Jordan.  

The four corpses were found late on Saturday by local residents. 

Local media outlet ANS Suweida alleged the four belonged to trafficking gangs operating across the Syrian/Jordanian border as part of networks across the Gulf. 

The Jordanian army announced on Saturday the seizure of a lorry with half a ton of cannabis product and 20,000 captagon pills during the operation. 

“Units on the border - in coordination with internal security forces - spotted and engaged with an armed group of smugglers trying to cross the border illegally, from Syria into Jordan,” said the army in a statement.

“Rapid response units were deployed and a firefight broke out. One was injured, while the others fled further into Syrian territory.” 

The army made no mention of the four reported casualties. 

The Jordanian army has been struggling to get a grip on the blossoming drugs trade throughout 2022. 

Jordan is both a destination and a main transit route to the oil-rich Gulf countries for Syrian-made cheap amphetamine drug known as captagon, also dubbed as 'poor-man cocaine'.

War-torn Syria has become the region's main production site for a multi-billion dollar trade also destined for Iraq and Europe. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime denies involvement in drug making and smuggling.

In January this year, Jordanian soldiers killed at least 27 armed smugglers and wounded others as they crossed the border. 

Jordanian armed forces vowed to deal with any future smuggling operations "with an iron fist".