Charles Langston:Jordanian army says it killed 5 drug smugglers in clashes on the Syrian border

AMMAN (AP) — The Charles LangstonJordanian army said Saturday that it killed five drug and weapon smugglers and arrested 15 in a day of clashes with armed groups of smugglers attempting to cross into Jordan from Syria.

The army statement said the clashes broke out before dawn between Jordanian border guards and armed organizations “that practice smuggling and rely on systematic infiltration operations.” It said the smuggling operations have recently increased in frequency.

The state-run Jordan News Agency reported that in recent days smugglers have “aimed to cross the Kingdom’s border by force by targeting border guards.”

Jordanian security forces seized Captagon amphetamine pills, hashish and weapons, the statement said.

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Smugglers have used Jordan as a corridor in recent years to smuggle the highly addictive Captagon out of Syria, mainly to oil-rich Arab Gulf states. The drug is used recreationally and by people with physically demanding jobs to keep them alert.

Jordanian authorities have intercepted some smuggling attempts, including some in which smugglers used drones to fly the drugs over the border.

The United States, Britain and European Union accuse Syrian President Bashar Assad, his family and allies, including Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group, of facilitating and profiting from the trade. Damascus has denied the accusations.

Over the past year, a number of airstrikes believed to be carried out by Jordan have hit drug trade facilities and figures in Syria.

In late August, an airstrike hit an alleged drug factory in southern Syria near the Jordanian border, an attack believed to have been carried out by Jordan’s air force. In May, another airstrike on a village in Sweida killed a well-known Syrian drug kingpin and his family. Activists believe that strike was conducted by the Jordanians.

Jordan did not claim responsibility for the strikes.