Iraq probes foiled Syria-bound weapons shipment
Shafaq News- Baghdad
Iraq's Joint Operations Command (JOC) established on Thursday a high-level committee to investigate a foiled attempt to smuggle weapons and missiles across the Iraqi border into Syria.
The committee was established under the direction of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi and includes representatives from relevant government agencies and specialists tasked with examining the circumstances surrounding the attempted smuggling operation.
“Iraqi authorities will coordinate with their Syrian counterparts to determine all details related to the incident and hold those responsible accountable,” JOC said, adding that the measures “aim to safeguard security along the shared border and prevent any attempts to undermine national security.”
Earlier on Thursday, Syria's General Authority for Border Crossings and Customs intercepted a large shipment of drones and missiles at the Al-Tanf border crossing. According to the agency, the weapons were carefully concealed inside an oil tanker heading to the coastal city of Baniyas.
The state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) cited the Interior Ministry as saying preliminary investigations indicated that the cargo was destined to pass through Syria en route to Lebanon's Hezbollah.
Read more: Exclusive: How did arms from Iraq reach Syria for Hezbollah?
