Deadly clashes have broken out between the Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group and Syrian armed forces as the latter attempted to destroy smuggling routes used during the Assad regime, the Washington Post reported on Saturday after speaking with a number of soldiers involved in the operations.
The terror group has reportedly attempted to tighten its grip on previous routes as a way to rearm following its war with Israel, which saw much of Hezbollah’s arsenal and senior leadership destroyed in strikes and a limited land operation.
Syrian patrol cars have come under frequent fire, and the patrolmen shot, according to the report. Last month, three soldiers were reportedly killed in the conflict.
While Syrian forces are attempting to guard the 233-mile border with Lebanon, Iran has reportedly begun expanding its smuggling contacts in Syria - allegedly trying to destabilize the new HTS government, which replaced Bashar al-Assad’s regime. European officials reportedly denied knowledge that Iran was directly trying to destabilize the country’s new leadership, in contrast with statements given by Syrian authorities