Army foils attempt to smuggle ‘large amounts’ of arms from Syria

AMMAN — Jordan has foiled an attempt to smuggle large amounts of weapons from Syria, the Jordan Armed Forces revealed Wednesday.

It said in a statement carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, that the border guards detected at dawn on Wednesday a group trying to smuggle small- and medium-calibre weapons, ammunition, drugs and cigarettes from Syria into Jordanian territory.

The announcement said a shoot-out ensued in which one of the smugglers was injured and five were arrested.

The army, which did not identify the smugglers or their nationalities, emphasised that it would deal firmly with anyone trying to undermine Jordan’s security.

The military will use an “iron fist against any party trying to harm Jordanian citizens and the country’s security”, the statement said.

Jordan shares a 370-kilometre border with Syria, guarded by army units whose responsibilities have increased and become more complicated since the Syrian crisis erupted almost three years ago.

The border guards are receiving on a daily basis Syrians seeking refuge in Jordan and securing their transport to refugee camps, while keeping an eye on infiltrators from both sides.

The Kingdom hosts more than 600,000 Syrian refugees, the majority of whom live in the Zaatari camp and within local communities in the northern region.