Jordan's armed forces said they carried out a predawn "deterrence operation" on Sunday, targeting drug and arms smuggling networks along the kingdom's northern border, as authorities escalate efforts to curb trafficking.
The military said it struck a number of sites used by traffickers, including factories, workshops and warehouses that served as launch points for operations into Jordan. The locations were identified based on intelligence and operational data, according to a statement carried by the state news agency Petra.
The targets were destroyed in what the army described as precise strikes aimed at preventing weapons and narcotics from reaching Jordanian territory.
The military said trafficking groups have adopted new methods, exploiting weather and the broader regional environment to evade detection. It added that the increase in smuggling attempts has posed a significant challenge to border guard units and supporting formations tasked with securing the frontier.
Jordan has in recent years hardened its response to what it sees as an organised and increasingly sophisticated network of traffickers operating along its northern frontier, particularly across the border with Syria.
In February, Syrian authorities seized a cache of 75 hot-air balloons along with more than two million Captagon pills, from a gang allegedly preparing to smuggle the drugs into Jordan.
Earlier this year, the army said it had intercepted multiple attempts to smuggle drugs using remotely guided balloons – a tactic designed to bypass traditional border controls by overwhelming surveillance systems. Authorities have also reported seizures of large quantities of narcotics, including Captagon pills, as well as weapons and equipment used in trafficking operations.
In March, three Jordanian security personnel were killed during a raid in east Amman when a suspected drug dealer opened fire on an anti-narcotics unit, highlighting the risks faced by security forces confronting trafficking networks inside the country.
Jordan has repeatedly warned that the scale and sophistication of smuggling operations have grown in recent years, turning the issue into a national security priority. The country sought a drug-free border with Syria following the fall of Bashar Al Assad's regime in December 2024, with officials noting that Captagon production had largely halted under the new Syrian leadership.
The armed forces said they would continue to act "pre-emptively and decisively" against any threats to the kingdom's security and sovereignty.
