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LONDON: Syrian and Iraqi counter-narcotics authorities have cracked down on criminal networks, seized drugs and arrested several suspects in a cross-border joint operation.

The Syrian Interior Ministry announced on Wednesday that authorities intercepted a significant drug shipment, seizing 108 kg of hashish and more than 1.27 million captagon pills, valued at millions of US dollars on the street.

Syria’s Anti-Narcotic Directorate and Iraq’s General Directorate for Drug Control have arrested several suspects linked to transnational smuggling networks. The operation is the second major crackdown on drug gangs between Iraq and Syria. In July, Iraqi authorities dismantled a criminal network in the Syrian capital, Damascus, involved in international drug trafficking.

“The operation is part of a series of ongoing international efforts carried out by Syria’s Anti-Narcotic Directorate in collaboration with both neighboring and allied countries,” the Syrian Interior Ministry said.

It highlighted that these efforts were part of security and intelligence coordination to combat the global drug trade.

“We will remain resolute in our efforts to protect our youth and national security from the devastating effects of drug trafficking.

“We will continue working closely with our international partners to enhance cooperation and ensure the safety and stability of Syria and the wider region,” the statement added.

On Monday, the Syrian Interior Ministry announced the seizure of about 12 million captagon stimulant pills during a raid on a drug-smuggling network operating near Damascus.

Captagon, an amphetamine-like drug, became Syria’s largest export during the 2011 civil war, providing crucial funding for the government of the now-ousted president Bashar Assad.

Since the fall of Assad, authorities have reported significant drug seizures nationwide and are collaborating with neighboring countries to combat the global drug trade, which remains a pressing issue in the Middle East.

KHARTOUM: Paramilitary drones targeted Khartoum International Airport on Wednesday for a second consecutive day, a Sudanese military source told AFP.
The source, who spoke anonymously because he was not authorized to brief the media, said “drones targeted Khartoum airport once again at dawn” on Wednesday.
He added that army air defenses intercepted the drones he said had been launched by a “terrorist militia” — a reference to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which have been fighting the army since April 2023.
Sudan’s Civil Aviation Authority had said the airport would reopen on Wednesday, with domestic flights resuming gradually after technical and operational preparations were completed.
But no further announcements on the reopening were made after Tuesday’s attack and it remains unclear whether operations will go ahead as planned following the latest strikes.
On Tuesday, witnesses reported hearing numerous explosions in an area near the airport in the early morning. The facility appeared intact during a visit later that day by army chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan.
Speaking from inside the airport, Burhan said the army was “determined to crush this rebellion” — a reference to the RSF led by his former ally Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
The RSF has not claimed responsibility for the attacks, but has been repeatedly accused of using drones to target military and civilian infrastructure in recent months.
In a speech released late on Tuesday on social media, Dagalo asserted the RSF “attacks military positions only” and vowed to remove the army, which he called a “cancer.”
Khartoum has seen a relative lull in ground fighting since the army retook parts of the capital earlier this year, but drone strikes have continued amid ongoing efforts by the government to restore services and relocate key institutions back from the de facto capital of Port Sudan on the Red Sea.