Syria foils weapons shipment bound for Hezbollah UPDATED

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has ordered the formation of a "high-level committee" to investigate an alleged attempt to smuggle weapons and missiles from Iraq into Syria, following reports that Syrian authorities had intercepted a major arms shipment allegedly destined for the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement in Lebanon.

Zaidi, in his capacity as commander-in-chief of the Iraqi armed forces, instructed that "a high-level committee comprising the relevant authorities and specialists be formed to fully investigate all aspects of this matter" after the reported smuggling attempt, Rudaw reports.

The committee will coordinate with Syrian authorities to establish the circumstances surrounding the operation and identify any security lapses.

"Coordination will also take place with the Syrian side to determine all the details surrounding the operation and hold those responsible for any shortcomings accountable, in a manner that ensures the security and stability of the shared border and prevents any attempts to undermine national security," Baghdad's Security Media Cell (SMC) said.

The SMC serves as the media arm of Iraq's Joint Operations Command (JOC), which reports directly to the prime minister.

The Iraqi announcement came shortly after Syria's Interior Ministry said its specialized security units had intercepted a large shipment of advanced weapons along the Syrian-Iraqi border.

According to the ministry, the seized cache included long-range missiles, anti-tank guided missiles, and drones.

Preliminary findings indicate the weapons were intended to transit through Syrian territory before being delivered to the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement in Lebanon.

The investigation is expected to focus on the origins of the shipment, the networks involved in the alleged smuggling operation, and measures to strengthen security along the Iraqi-Syrian border.

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Syrian security forces foiled an attempt to smuggle a shipment of advanced weapons and missiles across the Syria-Iraq border, an interior ministry source said.

The shipment was intercepted during a security operation, the source said, without providing details on the quantity of weapons seized or the exact location of the operation.

Preliminary investigations indicate the shipment was to transit Syrian territory to Hezbollah, the source added.

By Vafa Guliyeva