The Jordanian military on Monday, reported the prevention of a conspiracy involving numerous infiltrators from Syria with connections to pro-Iranian militias. These individuals attempted to breach the border, carrying rocket launchers, anti-personnel mines, and explosives.
Jordan's army stated that it foiled a plot on Monday by dozens of infiltrators from Syria linked to Iranian-backed militias, who crossed its border with rocket launchers, explosives and anti-personnel mines.
The army blew up a vehicle filled with explosives as it resisted the biggest armed cross border operation to smuggle drugs and weapons in recent years, according to state broadcaster al Mamlaka.
The army earlier stated the infiltrators had fled back across the border after wounding army personnel. This was the latest of several major infiltrations since the start of the month that has led to the death of one Jordanian soldier and at least a dozen smugglers.
Jordanian officials, along with their Western allies, assert that Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah group and militias who control a large part of southern Syria were behind a surge in weapons and drug smuggling.
Hezbollah and Iran claim that these allegations are part of Western plots against the country. Syria denies complicity with Pro-Iran militias linked to its security forces and its army.
US and European officials and UN experts say the illicit drug trade finances pro-government paramilitary forces and pro-Iranian militias created throughout more than a decade of conflict in Syria.
Syria has become the region's main location for a multi-billion-dollar drug trade, with Jordan serving as a key transit route to oil-rich Gulf states for captagon, an amphetamine made in Syria, according to Western anti-narcotics officials.
The army stated that it would "continue to track these armed groups and prevent any attempt to undermine the kingdom's national security".
"The last few days have seen a spike in these operations that are changing from infiltration attempts and smuggling to armed clashes with the goal of crossing the border by force and targeting border guards," the army statement added.
According to Jordanian officials, the Jordanian army was considering to conduct preemptive strikes in Syria on militias linked to the drug trade and, their facilities in a bid to stem what they claim is an alarming rise in cross-border incursions.
Jordan's army stated that it foiled a plot on Monday by dozens of infiltrators from Syria linked to Iranian-backed militias, who crossed its border with rocket launchers, explosives and anti-personnel mines.
The army blew up a vehicle filled with explosives as it resisted the biggest armed cross border operation to smuggle drugs and weapons in recent years, according to state broadcaster al Mamlaka.
The army earlier stated the infiltrators had fled back across the border after wounding army personnel. This was the latest of several major infiltrations since the start of the month that has led to the death of one Jordanian soldier and at least a dozen smugglers.
Jordanian officials, along with their Western allies, assert that Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah group and militias who control a large part of southern Syria were behind a surge in weapons and drug smuggling.
Hezbollah and Iran claim that these allegations are part of Western plots against the country. Syria denies complicity with Pro-Iran militias linked to its security forces and its army.
US and European officials and UN experts say the illicit drug trade finances pro-government paramilitary forces and pro-Iranian militias created throughout more than a decade of conflict in Syria.
Syria has become the region's main location for a multi-billion-dollar drug trade, with Jordan serving as a key transit route to oil-rich Gulf states for captagon, an amphetamine made in Syria, according to Western anti-narcotics officials.
The army stated that it would "continue to track these armed groups and prevent any attempt to undermine the kingdom's national security".
"The last few days have seen a spike in these operations that are changing from infiltration attempts and smuggling to armed clashes with the goal of crossing the border by force and targeting border guards," the army statement added.
According to Jordanian officials, the Jordanian army was considering to conduct preemptive strikes in Syria on militias linked to the drug trade and, their facilities in a bid to stem what they claim is an alarming rise in cross-border incursions.
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