New Damascus rulers fins a variety of weapons and missiles near the Lebanese border, signaling a resurgence in the group’s smuggling operations despite prior setbacks
Rizik Alabi/The Media Line|
The Ministry of Interior in Syria’s new administration announced on Sunday that it had seized a shipment of weapons allegedly intended for the Lebanese Hezbollah group.
A media source from the Syrian Ministry of Interior stated that the General Directorate of Border Security intercepted the shipment on smuggling routes along the Syrian-Lebanese border.
The source told The Media Line that the operation took place near the city of Serghaya in the Damascus countryside, an area where Hezbollah has reportedly been increasing its activity.
In a related development, the Public Security Directorate of the Syrian Ministry of Interior announced last week the thwarting of another arms smuggling operation aimed at Lebanon. The shipment reportedly contained a variety of weapons.
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Syria intercepts weapons being smuggled for Hezbollah across Lebanon border
(Photo: Social media )
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Hezbollah terrorists return to South Lebanon in a show of force
(Photo: Rabih Daher / AFP)
The General Security Directorate in the coastal province of Tartus said it intercepted the shipment, which was headed to Lebanon through illegal crossings, in coordination with the province’s intelligence agency.
According to officials, the shipment was seized before crossing into Lebanese territory. It included a variety of weapons and missiles. Images released by the directorate showed the confiscated items, which included sniper rifles, machine guns, Russian-made AK-47 rifles, grenade launchers, and three boxes containing missiles.
Although Hezbollah has lost several vital supply routes in recent years—most notably its Syrian corridor, which facilitated arms transfers from Iran—the group appears to be resuming its illicit activities.
In December, Hezbollah’s Secretary-General, Naim Qassem, acknowledged the impact of these disruptions. He admitted that developments in Syria have directly affected Lebanon and Hezbollah’s operations.
South Lebanon supporters of Hezbollah return to their villages
Since the death of Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, along with several other party commanders, as well as the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria, Hezbollah’s activities in arms smuggling and drug production have declined significantly. However, recent events suggest a resurgence of the group’s operations, albeit on a smaller scale.
This resurgence poses significant challenges to Syria’s new administration as it grapples with securing its borders and curbing Hezbollah’s influence in the region.
The article is reprinted with the permission of The Media Line