Pro-Iran Militias Under Suspicion; Jordan: Four Drug Traffickers Killed at Syrian Border

The Jordanian army stated in a statement that five drug traffickers were killed on Sunday while attempting to smuggle a large quantity of drugs from Syria to Jordan. The Jordanian army said their efforts were thwarted. The statement noted that four other traffickers were injured while trying to cross the northern border with Syria in the early morning, and a large amount of drugs was discovered and seized. Jordan claims that drug dealers have direct connections with pro-Iran militias and transport drugs, weapons, and explosives across the Syrian border. Since the beginning of the calendar year, clashes between the Jordanian army and them have intensified. Meanwhile, interior ministers from four Arab countries discussed ways to combat drug trafficking in the region on Saturday in Jordan and agreed to establish a joint communication mechanism for information exchange. The Jordanian interior minister told reporters after the meeting that during the meeting of the interior ministers of Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq, four officials acknowledged that 'there is a big problem, and that is drugs, and all our communities suffer from this problem.' The drug trade has been a source of tension between Jordan and Syria, and reports indicate that the Jordanian air force has conducted attacks in southern Syria against alleged traffickers and drug production workshops. In recent years, traffickers have used Jordan as a significant route for smuggling Captagon amphetamine pills from Syria, mainly to the oil-rich Arab Gulf countries. These pills are highly addictive. This report is based on information from Reuters and the Associated Press.