Syrian authorities announced on Wednesday that they had foiled an attempt to smuggle a shipment of advanced weapons and missiles across the Iraqi border, in an operation carried out by specialised security units, while Baghdad announced the formation of an investigative committee to identify the parties behind the smuggling operation.
Syria's Ministry of Interior issued a statement announcing that its specialised units, in cooperation with the customs secretariat staff at the Al-Tanf border crossing, had foiled an attempt to smuggle a large shipment of advanced weapons intended for Lebanese Hezbollah, intercepting it before it entered Syrian territory, as part of "the continuous efforts exerted by the General Authority for Border Crossings and Customs in combating smuggling."
Syrian authorities disclosed details of the foiled attempt to smuggle a large shipment of "advanced weapons," including long-range missiles, across the border with Iraq, which they said had been prepared for transfer to Hezbollah in Lebanon.
They said the operation came "after a stationary vehicle was detected within the border zone under suspicious circumstances and subjected to inspection," which resulted in the seizure of a shipment containing "long-range missiles, guided anti-armour missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles."
Preliminary investigations, according to the Ministry of Interior, showed that "the shipment was prepared to transit through Syrian territory towards Lebanon for the benefit of the terrorist Hezbollah militia."
The Ministry of Interior affirmed in its statement that "protecting the borders and preserving national sovereignty represent an absolute priority, and that it will not allow Syrian territory to be used as a corridor or launching point for weapons smuggling or for carrying out any activities that threaten the security of the Syrian Arab Republic or neighbouring countries."
Meanwhile, Iraq's Joint Operations Command announced on Wednesday the formation of an investigative committee following the foiling of the weapons smuggling operation across the border.
The Security Media Cell stated in a communiqué that "at the direction of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, a high-level committee has been formed from the relevant authorities and specialists to examine the details of the operation to foil the smuggling of weapons and missiles across the Iraqi border into Syrian territory," according to the Iraqi News Agency.
It added: "Coordination will be undertaken with the Syrian side to ascertain all details related to this operation and to hold those responsible to account, in a manner that ensures the preservation of security and stability along the shared border and prevents any attempts to destabilise national security."