Jordanian soldiers killed 27 drug smugglers as they tried to cross into the country from Syria, the Jordanian army announced. The smugglers in several separate attempts were carrying large quantities of amphetamines, using the cover of a rare snowstorm to try to enter Jordan. Some smugglers retreated back into Syria.
There has been an uptick in drug smuggling from Syria to Jordan in recent months, often hidden in trucks passing through Jordan. The most commonly smuggled drug is the amphetamine Captagon (fenethylline).
The Jordanian military said Thursday in a statement that it was “continuing to apply the newly established rules of engagement and will strike with an iron fist and deal with force and firmness with any infiltration or smuggling attempts to protect the borders.”