BEIRUT, LEBANON (10:00 P.M.) – A large smuggling operation did not go to plan on Monday after the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) stopped a truck that tried to enter the rebel-held East Ghouta farmland on the outskirts of Damascus.
Upon approaching a SAA checkpoint in east Damascus, the driver was stopped and the lorry thoroughly searched for contraband. In a hidden compartment, hundreds of mortar shells, anti-tank missiles, mines and plenty of ammunition were uncovered by security forces.
Subsequently, the driver was imprisoned and will face interrogation in the coming days. Smuggling from government-held Damascus to the opposition East Ghouta mainland has been an issue since 2012 as civilians often try to make a quick buck, usually financed by Gulf states.
Al-Masdar News has obtained photos of the operation:
Chris Tomson | AMN
Chris Tomson | AMN
Chris Tomson | AMN
Chris Tomson | AMN
Somewhat ironically, the newly captured armaments – most of which can be traced back to leftovers of the Yugoslav Wars – will be dispersed among units of the National Defence Forces (NDF) to fight various insurgent factions.
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