The Directorate of General Security in Tartus announced the thwarting of an arms smuggling operation bound for Lebanon, with weapons and missiles seized just before crossing into Lebanese territory, according to a report by the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) on X.

"After coordination with the Intelligence Directorate in the governorate and through continuous monitoring and surveillance, an arms smuggling operation heading to Lebanon via illegal crossings was thwarted. The weapons and missiles were seized just before entering Lebanese territory," SANA reported.

On Tuesday, Syrian authorities and Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) began closing illegal crossings on the Syrian banks of the al-Kabir River, near Lebanon's northern border. In addition, crossings along the northeastern border of Lebanon, in the Hermel region, were also being blocked by HTS in nearby Syrian villages.

On Lebanon's northern border, Syrian bulldozers were actively working on Wednesday to close numerous unauthorized crossings using high mounds of earth. The Lebanese army had already sealed off several of these crossing points on the Lebanese side.

Syrian sources told L'Orient Today that the operation would take time due to the large number of crossings constantly reopened by gangs on both sides of the border. These gangs, who own properties in the area, exploit the low river levels caused by this winter's lack of rainfall.