BEIRUT: An airstrike early Thursday hit an alleged drug factory in southern Syria close to the Jordanian border, causing damage, but there were no reports of casualties, Syrian opposition activists said.
They said the strike was believed to have been carried out by Jordan’s air force.
Jordan’s state media reported over the past weeks that multiple drones carrying drugs were shot down after crossing from Syria.
An opposition activist Ahmad Al-Masalmeh who covers developments in southern Syria said the factory was also used as a narcotics warehouse where smugglers would produce and pack illegal drugs before smuggling them across the southern border into Jordan.
Drug factory destroyed
A Britain-based opposition war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that the factory was destroyed.
Meanwhile, a pro-government FM radio station said the attack hit a farm, causing material damage. Neither immediately reported any deaths or injuries.
In May, an airstrike over a village in the southern Sweida province killed a renowned Syrian drug kingpin and his family, which activists say was conducted by the Jordanians.
Jordan has never confirmed nor denied conducting May’s attack, but has said on several occasions that it would use force in its efforts to tackle with smuggling across the border. Neither Jordanian authorities nor Jordanian state media have commented on Thursday’s strike.
