The Lebanese-Syrian borders: Between smuggling and clashes.

The commander of the Western Region in the Border Security Administration, Major "Muayyad Al-Salama," stated to the SANA agency: - During the past week, clashes took place with armed smuggling gangs in the villages of Haouik, Jarmash, Wadi Al-Hourani, and Akoum in Syria, during a combing campaign we launched to control the western borders of the country from smuggling operations. - Most of the smuggling gangs on the Lebanese borders are affiliated with the Lebanese Hezbollah militia, which has become a threat by being present on the Syrian borders through its sponsorship of drug and arms smugglers. - The defunct regime also turned the Syrian-Lebanese borders into corridors for drug trafficking in cooperation with the Lebanese Hezbollah militia, thus enhancing the presence of armed smuggling gangs in the border area. - Our forces were able to seize a large number of farms, warehouses, factories for processing and packaging hashish and Captagon pills, in addition to printing presses specializing in counterfeit currency, as this area represented the economic lifeline for these gangs. - We also seized many shipments of weapons and drugs in the border areas with Lebanon, which were en route for crossing. - We affirm that we did not target the Lebanese interior, despite the shelling that targeted our units by the Lebanese Hezbollah militia. Our operations were limited to adjacent Syrian villages, targeting armed smuggling gangs and those fighting alongside them from remnants and militias. - We have developed a comprehensive plan to fully control the borders, taking into account the existing challenges and contributing to protecting our people from all threats targeting them.