Syrian security forces seized a large cache of weapons in a sweeping raid targeting a network of major arms traffickers operating in the eastern border town of Al-Bukamal, a senior security official announced.

Mustafa Al-Ali, Director of Security for the Al-Bukamal region, said the operation successfully intercepted a significant shipment of weapons en route from Iraq to Lebanon via Syrian territory. He described the raid as a major blow to cross-border smuggling operations in the volatile eastern Deir Ezzor province.

“This raid marks a critical success in our ongoing efforts to curb the illegal flow of arms across our borders,” Al-Ali said, noting that the seized weapons were being transported by networks operating in areas under the influence of non-state actors.

According to Al-Ali, the operation is part of a broader security campaign aimed at countering both drug and weapons trafficking through uncontrolled border crossings. These crossings, he warned, remain vulnerable to exploitation by armed groups and criminal syndicates operating outside the rule of law.

“Our security units are working tirelessly and without hesitation to secure the borders and protect the safety and stability of this region,” he said.

In the course of the operation, security personnel also uncovered a series of tunnels believed to have been used for smuggling narcotics between Syria and Iraq. Al-Ali confirmed that investigations are ongoing to determine the full scope of the tunnel networks and the criminal groups behind them.

“We are determined to expose every detail of these smuggling networks,” he said. “These operations pose a direct threat to the security of Syria and the broader region.”

The security campaign in Al-Bukamal, which lies on a strategic stretch of the Syria-Iraq border, will continue until full stability is restored, Al-Ali added. The area is considered a critical corridor for cross-border trafficking and has long been a flashpoint for illicit activity.

“The mission is not over,” he said. “We are committed to achieving complete security in this sensitive and strategically vital region.”