麻豆影视

Skip to main content

Jordan says it foiled plot against its security by Iran-linked smugglers from Syria

Jordanian troops patrol at the Jordanian side of Naseeb border crossing into Syria one day after Syrian army recovered southern territories of Daraa province from insurgents under a surrender deal mediated by Russia. Saturday. July 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Raad Adayleh) Jordanian troops patrol at the Jordanian side of Naseeb border crossing into Syria one day after Syrian army recovered southern territories of Daraa province from insurgents under a surrender deal mediated by Russia. Saturday. July 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Raad Adayleh)
Share
Amman -

Jordan's army said it foiled a plot on Monday by dozens of infiltrators from Syria linked to pro-Iranian militias, who crossed its border with rocket launchers, anti-personnel mines and explosives.

State broadcaster al Mamlaka said the army blew up a vehicle laden with explosives as it resisted the biggest armed cross border operation to smuggle weapons and drugs in recent years.

The army earlier said the infiltrators had fled back across the border after injuring several army personnel in latest of several major incursions since the start of the month that has left one Jordanian soldier and at least a dozen smugglers dead.

Jordanian officials, like their Western allies, say that Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah group and militias who control much of southern Syria were behind a surge in drug and weapons smuggling.

"Jordan knows the country that stands behind this. It's Iran that is sponsoring these militias. These are hostile military actions against Jordan on its territory," said Samih Maayteh, a former minister briefed by officials on developments.

Iran and Hezbollah say the allegations are part of Western plots against the country. Syria denies complicity with Iranian-backed militias linked to its army and security forces.

U.N. experts and U.S. and European officials say the illicit drug trade finances a proliferation of pro-Iranian militias and pro-government paramilitary forces created by more than a decade of conflict in Syria.

War-torn Syria has become the region's main site for a multi-billion-dollar drug trade, with Jordan being a key transit route to the oil-rich Gulf states for a Syrian-made amphetamine known as captagon, Western anti-narcotics officials and Washington say.

The army said it would "continue to track these armed groups and prevent any attempt to undermine the kingdom's national security."

"The last few days have seen a spike in these operations that are changing from infiltration attempts and smuggling to armed clashes with the goal of crossing the border by force and targeting border guards," the army statement added.

Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi last week told Iran's Foreign Minister Hossien Amirabdollahian during a meeting in Geneva that Tehran should do more to rein in militias it finances that are active along the Syrian-Jordanian border, officials say.

They say the Jordanian army was considering conducting pre-emptive strikes inside Syria against those militias linked to the drug trade and their facilities in a bid to stem what they say is an alarming rise in cross-border incursions.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Two nephews of the beloved Harry R. Hamilton share stories about his life and legacy.

The union representing some 1,200 dockworkers at the Port of Montreal has overwhelmingly rejected a deal with their employers association.

Local Spotlight

For the second year in a row, the 鈥楪ift-a-Family鈥 campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.

Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.

A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.

As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.

A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts 鈥 not for themselves, but for those in need.

A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.

Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.

A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.