BEIRUT, April 10 (Xinhua) -- The Lebanese army has seized a cache of smuggled weapons and military equipment from Syria and arrested several individuals involved in cross-border trafficking, according to a statement issued by the Army Command on Thursday.

As part of an ongoing effort to combat smuggling along the Lebanese-Syrian border, an army patrol from the Intelligence Directorate intercepted a group of smugglers on the outskirts of Aaiha, a village in the eastern Rashaya district. During the confrontation, one suspect was injured in an exchange of fire before being apprehended.

Following the incident, additional army units launched a raid in the same village, arresting two more individuals and confiscating a range of military weapons, equipment, and ammunition. All seized items have been handed over to the authorities, and investigations are underway under judicial supervision. Security forces continue to pursue additional suspects.

In a separate operation, an army checkpoint in Deir Ammar in northern Lebanon detained more than 90 individuals for illegally entering Lebanese territory.

According to security sources, the Lebanese army has recently reinforced its deployment along the border with Syria by stationing over 8,000 personnel across approximately 100 posts along its 375-kilometer frontier as part of its efforts to enhance security and combat smuggling.

Smuggling has long been a significant issue along the Syria-Lebanon border. The porous nature of the border, combined with ongoing regional instability, continues to facilitate the illicit movement of arms, which fuels violence and instability in both countries. Enditem

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