Jordan and Syria will combat the arms and drug smuggling and Islamic State's revival

Jordan's Foreign Minister announced on Tuesday that Jordan and Syria had agreed to create a joint security panel to secure their border and combat drug and arms smuggling. They will also work to prevent a resurgence by Islamic State.

Western anti-narcotics authorities say that captagon, a stimulant of amphetamine type, is mass produced in Syria. They also claim that Jordan is used as a transit point to reach the oil-producing Gulf States.

Jordanian officials claim that the Jordanian army has carried out several preemptive airstrikes on Syria since 2023. They targeted militias suspected of having links to drug trafficking and their facilities.

"We discussed the security of the borders, particularly the threat of weapons and drugs smuggling as well as the resurgence Islamic State. We will work together to tackle these challenges.

Shibani told Safadi, after he returned to Amman from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, following the fall President Bashar al Assad, that the new islamist leaders in Syria would not be a threat for drug smuggling.

He said that the new situation in Syria had ended all threats to Jordan's safety.

He said, "When it comes captagon or drug smuggling we promise that it's over and will never return." We are prepared to work closely with you on this issue.

(source: Reuters)