Syrian customs officers seized 224 RPG anti-tank shells hidden in a vehicle at the Jdeidet Yabous border crossing on the Damascus-Beirut highway, the authorities said. The shells were concealed under the passenger seats and inside the engine compartment, and the vehicle was en route to Lebanon.
Syrian customs officers at the Jdeidet Yabous border crossing on the Damascus-Beirut highway intercepted a vehicle carrying 224 RPG-7 anti-tank shells, the authorities said Wednesday. The shells were hidden under the passenger seats and inside the engine compartment. The vehicle was en route to Lebanon, according to the report.
The seizure is the second such interception in a week. On July 21, Syrian authorities seized 226 grenade bombs from a vehicle also headed to Lebanon, as The Zioneer reported. The weapons in both cases are believed to be destined for Hezbollah, though the latest report did not name the intended recipient.
Previous interceptions in recent weeks, including a July 18 truck carrying hundreds of drones and missiles from Iran, underscore the scale of ongoing smuggling efforts through Syrian territory toward Hezbollah and other armed groups in Lebanon. Syria's customs service has been increasingly active in intercepting such shipments, sometimes in coordination with Iraq.
The RPG-7 anti-tank rockets are a staple of Hezbollah's arsenal. The concealment method suggests an attempt to evade detection at the border crossing, which is a key artery between Syria and Lebanon.
2 developments
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- DevelopingSyria's Interior Ministry says it found several Grad rockets hidden in Daraa province near Israeli border
- DevelopingSaudi forces seize IRGC weapons shipment to Houthis, RPG warheads hidden in spaghetti packages
- StrongSyrian forces reportedly intercept weapons truck from Iran bound for Lebanon
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