Syria thwarts weapons smuggling attempt to Lebanon: state media

by AFP Staff Writers
Damascus (AFP) Jan 26, 2026

Damascus thwarted on Monday an attempt to smuggle weapons into Lebanon, state media reported, days after Israel struck several border crossings between the two countries, saying they were used by Hezbollah.

The official SANA news agency said security forces intercepted the shipment in a car in the Bureij area, near the border with Lebanon.

Quoting a security source, SANA said authorities seized "nine anti-tank guided missiles, 68 RPG rounds, two 107mm rockets, and five boxes of ammunition" before raiding the smugglers' hideout in the nearby Nabek district.

Lebanon and Syria share a porous, 330-kilometre (205-mile) border that is notorious for smuggling.

The operation follows Israeli strikes on Wednesday on four border crossings between the two countries, which the Israeli military alleged were "used by Hezbollah to smuggle weapons".

Under deposed president Bashar al-Assad, Syria was a key node of Iran's so-called "axis of resistance" against Israel and enabled the transfer of weapons and money from Iran to Hezbollah.

The militant group played a crucial role during Syria's civil war, fighting alongside Assad's forces and helping to keep him in power as he cracked down on a popular revolt.

The new government in Damascus, dominated by the Islamists who toppled Assad, has rejected Iranian influence and attempted to cut off the supply of weapons to Hezbollah.

Last month, Syrian authorities said they had killed a man and arrested four others who were attempting to smuggle hundreds of landmines to Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Under heavy US pressure, Lebanon has committed to disarming Hezbollah.

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