Jordan forces kill 4 smugglers in clash on Syria border

By Laith Al-Jnaidi and Ahmed Asmar

AMMAN, Jordan (AA) – Jordan’s army said Thursday that its forces had killed four smugglers in a clash near the border with Syria.

A military statement said armed smugglers tried to exploit poor weather conditions and dense fog to cross the border, but Jordanian forces “applied engagement rules to prevent their infiltration.”

The clash resulted in the killing of four smugglers, while other individuals retreated into Syrian territory, the statement said.

According to the statement, large quantities of narcotics and weapons were seized.

Jordan shares a 375-kilometer (233-mile) porous border with Syria.

The country has seen hundreds of attempts to smuggle drugs under the former regime of Bashar al-Assad as a result of the deteriorating security conditions in the country. After Assad’s fall, however, smuggling attempts through the border have significantly decreased.

Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia on Dec. 8, ending the Baath Party’s regime, which had been in power since 1963.

Ahmed al-Sharaa, who led anti-regime forces to oust Assad, was declared president for a transitional period on Jan. 29.