Damascus: Syrian authorities announced the killing of a man and arrest of four others who were allegedly involved in a plot to smuggle hundreds of landmines to Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group. The interior ministry revealed that a raid was conducted in Al-Jebbe, near Damascus, where "four people were arrested and a fifth neutralised after a clash."
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Khaled Abbas Taktouk, the internal security director for the Yabrud region near the Lebanese border, reported that "1,250 mines armed with detonators" were confiscated. These mines were reportedly intended to be smuggled to Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Under the regime of the deposed president Bashar al-Assad, Syria was closely aligned with Iran as part of the "axis of resistance" against Israel, facilitating the transfer of weapons and funds from Iran to Hezbollah. The militant group played a significant role in Syria's civil war, supporting Assad's forces to maintain his rule amid a popular uprising.
The current government in Damascus, led by the Islamist rebels who overthrew Assad, has distanced itself from Iran and sought to halt the flow of weapons to Hezbollah. The group faced significant challenges from Israel during a prolonged period of hostilities, which escalated into a full-scale war and concluded with a ceasefire in November 2024.
Despite the ceasefire, Israel has accused Hezbollah of attempting to restore its military strength and has continued to target the group with strikes in Lebanon.