• Officials in Al-Qusayr find items hidden in vegetable crates on truck
• Operation came after ‘meticulous’ planning, interior ministry says

Najia Houssari

BEIRUT: Syrian officials seized a shipment of weapons and ammunition, including guided anti-tank missiles, as they were being smuggled into Lebanese territory, the Ministry of Interior said on Thursday.

The haul, which was concealed inside a truck, was confiscated by officials from the Directorate of Internal Security in Al-Qusayr. The city is about 15 km from the Lebanese border, opposite the northern Bekaa villages which are a Hezbollah stronghold.

The operation was carried out “after meticulous monitoring and carefully choosing the right time and place,” the ministry said.

Images it published showed large quantities of crates that had been used to conceal the illicit cargo. The driver of the vehicle was arrested and the ammunition and weapons confiscated.

“Syrian authorities have intensified their security efforts in recent weeks, successfully combating weapons smuggling across the border, especially in areas close to Lebanon,” the ministry said.

“Significant quantities of light and medium weapons were seized in Al-Qusayr, some of which had been buried in farms and agricultural fields. A shipment of Grad missiles intended for smuggling out of the country was also confiscated.”

It said also that the Directorate of Internal Security in Nawa, located in the Daraa countryside, had “carried out a raid during which a quantity of light and medium weapons was seized and individuals involved in storage and smuggling were arrested.”

Last week, officials from the Syrian and Lebanese sides met in Damascus to discuss measures agreed on in earlier talks to curb smuggling along the border between the two countries.

Al-Qusayr served as Hezbollah’s military headquarters during its 2013 intervention in the Syrian war, after its residents were forced to flee to Lebanon.