October 8, 2026
The border guard forces of the Syrian Arab Army foiled a smuggling attempt on the Syrian-Lebanese border, following an armed clash with a group of smugglers in the area of Jurd al-Maarat Baibrud in the Damascus countryside, which resulted in the arrest of one of those involved and the confiscation of two cars and their cargo, while the rest fled towards Lebanese territory.
In detail, the Syrian News Agency “SANA” quoted from the Department of Media and Communication in the Ministry of Defence, that the border guard units responded to the smuggling attempt while performing their duties in the border area, where the smugglers initiated shooting towards the patrol, which prompted the force members to respond in kind and clashes broke out between the two sides.
The confrontation resulted in the arrest of one of the cell members and the confiscation of two vehicles and the cargo they were carrying, while the rest of the smugglers fled towards the Lebanese interior. The Ministry of Defense did not reveal the nature of the seized materials or the size of the criminal group, nor did it issue any statement regarding recording human casualties as a result of the clash.
This operation comes in light of the continuation of security activities carried out by army units in the area of Jurd al-Maarat and the vicinity of Yabrud in the Damascus countryside adjacent to the Lebanese border, with the aim of combating smuggling operations and controlling illegal crossings.
