Jordan foils drug smuggling attempt, 5 killed

A military source at the Jordan Armed Forces (JAF) said on Sunday that the JAF has thwarted an attempt to infiltrate and smuggle large quantities of narcotics coming from Syrian territories into Jordan.

The operation, conducted in cooperation with the Anti-Narcotics Department, resulted in the killing of 5 smugglers and the injury of 4 others, along with the seizure of large quantities of narcotics, Xinhua news agency reported.

The seized drugs have been transferred to the relevant authorities, according to the report.

The source said the JAF is determined to utilize all available capabilities and resources to deal firmly with anyone who dares to jeopardize Jordan's national security.

On Saturday, Jordan announced the formation of a joint "communication cell" including Iraq, Syria and Lebanon to combat drug trafficking.

The group will include liaison officers from all countries involved to track information and monitor shipments to their final destination to combat drug trafficking.

Jordan has been involved in armed clashes with drug smugglers over the past few months as they made more attempts to smuggle drugs and weapons into the Kingdom.