According to the Associated Press, an airstrike in southern Syria that killed at least nine people may have been undertaken by the Royal Jordanian Air Force.
Syrian opposition activists say the area that was struck is a hotbed for cross-border drug smugglers. The strike reportedly took place in the province of Sweida, but there has been no official confirmation as of yet.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which is based in Britain, confirmed that nine people were killed, including two children and at least three women, in the village of Orman.
Rami Abdurrahman, the head of the war monitoring organization Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told the AP that the individuals killed in the air strike had nothing to do with drug smuggling and suggested that the Jordanians may have had bad intel from local residents.
The area has had increased drug smuggling traffic in recent years as they look to move Captagon, a type of amphetamine, out of Syria into more lucrative markets throughout the Arab Gulf states. Smugglers have become sophisticated enough to use drones in their attempts.
Hundreds of millions of pills have reportedly been smuggled out of the country over the years. The drug is used recreationally and for people who have physically demanding jobs. The effects simulate a feeling of alertness.
This is but the most recent of several airstrikes that have been attributed to the Royal Jordanian Air Force. An alleged drug factory in southern Syria near the border with Jordan was attacked in August and another airstrike occurred in the village of Sweida, which killed a Syrian drug lord and his family.
What About Hamas?
Last year HNGN reported that Hamas fighters who participated in the assault on southern Israel were found to have Captagon in their pockets. The drug effects include euphoria, reduced sleep requirements, hunger suppression and persistent energy. Fenethylline, caffeine, and other fillers are said to be in the drug, which has been called the Poor Man's Cocaine.
Jordan has so far not claimed responsibility for any of the recent strikes. However, this is par for the course for the country as they didn't claim responsibility for any of the prior drug-related airstrikes either.
HNGN will update these stories as additional details are made available.
