The Jordanian army said it killed four drug smugglers who tried to infiltrate the kingdom from Syria on Thursday, in the first such deaths on the border since the Assad regime was toppled in December and replaced with a new government seeking better ties with Amman.
The four were part of a group that was intercepted as they tried to enter Jordan under the cover of bad weather and early morning fog, the army said.
“The clash resulted in the death of four smugglers and the retreat of the rest into the Syrian interior,” it said.
It said “large quantities” of narcotics were seized along with an automatic weapon, without giving specifics.
The Syrian rebel group Hayat Tahrir Al Sham posted its troops along parts of the 360km border with Jordan, a major conduit for the Captagon drug trade, after leading the removal of former president Bashar Al Assad on December 8.
Days later, Jordan's Interior Minister Mazen Faraya said that the drug smuggling diminished as a result of the political changes in Syria. However, the authorities have since announced several interceptions of cross-border drug shipments.
Last month, Jordan's King Abdullah II and Syria's new leader Ahmad Al Shara discussed the issue in Amman and agreed that the two governments should co-operate on tackling drugs and weapons smuggling, according to the Jordanian Royal Court.
Jordan re-established limited ties with Mr Al Assad in recent years with the aim of resuming legal flows of goods and people under what officials called a step-for-step approach to solving problems emanating from Syria, and from the ousted regime's Iran-backed militia allies.
But Jordan did not see enough co-operation from the Assad regime on drug smuggling and border security. Jordanian support for Mr Al Assad remained limited, especially in his wider goal of lifting western sanctions and obtaining funding for reconstruction projects in regime-controlled areas.
Since Mr Al Assad's removal, Jordan has hosted an international conference on Syria and has said it is willing to help rebuild Syria and contribute to its stability as the nation recovers from nearly 14 years of civil war.
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Community Shield info
Where, when and at what time Wembley Stadium in London on Sunday at 5pm (UAE time)
Arsenal line up (3-4-2-1) Petr Cech; Rob Holding, Per Mertesacker, Nacho Monreal; Hector Bellerin, Mohamed Elneny, Granit Xhaka, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain; Alex Iwobi, Danny Welbeck; Alexandre Lacazette
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger
Chelsea line up (3-4-2-1) Thibaut Courtois; Cesar Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Gary Cahill; Victor Moses, Cesc Fabregas, N'Golo Kante, Marcos Alonso; Willian, Pedro; Michy Batshuayi
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte
Referee Bobby Madley
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
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Difference between fractional ownership and timeshare
Although similar in its appearance, the concept of a fractional title deed is unlike that of a timeshare, which usually involves multiple investors buying “time” in a property whereby the owner has the right to occupation for a specified period of time in any year, as opposed to the actual real estate, said John Peacock, Head of Indirect Tax and Conveyancing, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates, a law firm.
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
Riders must be 14-years-old or over
Wear a protective helmet
Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
Do not drive outside designated lanes
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