Jordanian army shoots down fourth drone in a month coming from Syria

The Jordanian army announced in a statement on Monday that it had shot down an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) coming from Syrian territory, marking the fourth UAV to be intercepted within a month.

Similar to the previous three instances, the source did not clarify whether the aircraft was carrying drugs, explosives, or other materials.

The army quoted a responsible military source stating, "Border Guard forces, in coordination with the Anti-Narcotics Department and military security agencies, detected an attempt by an unauthorized UAV to cross the borders from Syrian territory into Jordanian territory. The UAV was intercepted and shot down inside Jordanian territory."

The statement continued, "After intensifying search and inspection operations in the area, the UAV was located and handed over to the relevant authorities."

The source affirmed "dealing firmly and decisively with any threat along the border fronts."

On August 16, the Jordanian army announced the interception of a UAV attempting to smuggle explosives of the "TNT" type from Syria into the kingdom.

On August 13, the army announced the interception of a UAV loaded with narcotics coming from Syria.

On July 24, a UAV loaded with drugs coming from Syria was also intercepted.

This comes following the first joint Jordanian-Syrian committee meeting in Amman to discuss combating drug smuggling across the borders between Syria and Jordan.

In June, the army shot down two other UAVs, one carrying weapons and the other carrying narcotics. Additionally, a UAV carrying hand grenades and a rifle was shot down on February 25 of last year.

Jordan's Foreign Minister, Ayman Safadi, visited Syria on July 3 of last year and discussed with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad the issues of Syrian refugees and combating drug trafficking.

A consultative meeting on Syria was held in Amman on May 1, involving foreign ministers from Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Egypt, focusing on combating drug trafficking and facilitating the return of Syrian refugees from neighboring countries.

The Jordanian army is also combating arms and drug smuggling, particularly Captagon pills, from Syria to the kingdom.

Officials state that these smuggling operations have become "organized" and sometimes involve the use of UAVs and are protected by armed groups.

The kingdom affirms that 85% of the seized drugs intended for smuggling out of Jordan, particularly to Saudi Arabia and Gulf countries, are Captagon pills.

The production of Captagon is not new to the region, with Syria being a major source of the substance since before the outbreak of the conflict in 2011. However, the conflict has increased its production, use, and export.



AFP