Syrian sources reported today (Monday) that the country’s security forces recently foiled an attempt to smuggle Iranian-made Fajr-1 rockets (107 mm) intended for Hezbollah in Lebanon. According to assessments, the rockets were transported along a known smuggling route in the Homs–Al-Qusayr region, near the Lebanese border—an area frequently used for operations of this kind.
A New Trend
This latest incident joins a series of recent developments that suggest a change in Syria’s approach. On June 5 of this year, Syrian army forces intercepted a shipment of anti-tank missiles and grenades hidden inside a vegetable truck. Back in January, the Syrian Directorate of Public Security reported the seizure of rifles and drones during a separate smuggling attempt in the Tartus area.
In addition, clashes were reported last February between Syrian army troops and Hezbollah supporters, as part of the regime’s broader effort to push the organization out of Syria and reduce Iran’s influence in the country.
Hezbollah’s Smuggling Unit
The weapons smuggling network is coordinated by Hezbollah’s Unit 4400 in collaboration with Unit 190 of Iran’s Quds Force, which is responsible for overseas weapons transfers.
According to a 2024 report by researcher Tal Beeri of the Alma Research and Education Center, there are approximately 130 border crossings between Syria and Lebanon, but only six are officially recognized—three along the eastern border and three along the northern border. The majority of smuggling routes are concentrated in the Bekaa Valley and are completely unsecured, with no monitoring or checkpoints in place.
Elimination of Hezbollah Unit 4400 operative during the war – WATCH:
Interesting footage shows the moment an #Israeli Hermes 450 armed drone struck #Hezbollah operative Maher Ali Nasr al-Din, a key figure in the Armament and Combat Equipment Transfer Unit (4400), on a road in Al-Qusra, north of Hermel, near the Lebanon-Syria border earlier today.… pic.twitter.com/GlfYPtzULq
— Babak Taghvaee – The Crisis Watch (@BabakTaghvaee1) February 26, 2025
During the months of fighting in the north, the IDF focused on targeting this unit’s infrastructure. Through a series of precision strikes, the unit’s commander Muhammad Jaafar Qasir, his successor Ali Hassan Gharib, and other senior operatives were eliminated. In addition, transportation infrastructure and storage facilities in Syria were struck.
These joint efforts by Israel and the restructured Syrian army to disrupt Hezbollah’s smuggling infrastructure are placing sustained pressure on the network and dealing serious blows to the organization, which is already facing significant difficulties.
