The Syrian Ministry of Defense announced on Friday that army units clashed with a group of narcotics smugglers near Dabousiya, west of Homs, along the Lebanese-Syrian border.
In a statement, the ministry said the confrontation led to the seizure of a batch of drugs, which was handed over to the competent authorities. It added that operations to pursue the smugglers are ongoing and denied reports of casualties among Syrian forces.
The ministry stressed that Damascus is intensifying border control measures to curb smuggling, noting that Syria has long been a hub for Captagon production and exports.
This latest incident comes against the backdrop of repeated clashes between Syrian troops and smuggling gangs along the border. On February 6, 2025, Syrian forces launched a major security operation targeting networks in the border town of Hawik in the Homs Governorate. This operation triggered heavy exchanges of fire with traffickers, including mortar attacks.
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