Three Lebanese soldiers killed in Bekaa drug raid

Three Lebanese soldiers were killed on Thursday during a drug raid in the eastern part of the country. 

The Lebanese army said that the three soldiers were killed during a gunfight in Haour Taala in eastern Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, which sits close to the border with Syria. The incident occurred during a confrontation with “wanted” individuals, three of whom were also killed, according to a tweet from the army. 

An army spokesperson told Lebanon’s L’Orient Today that the suspects were believed to be drug traffickers. The Lebanese news outlets Naharnet and 961 also described the raid as targeting alleged drug traffickers. 

Why it matters: Lebanon’s drug war is tied to the one in neighboring Syria. The amphetamine Captagon — notorious for its use by Islamic State fighters in battle — has turned into a multi-billion-dollar industry in war-torn Syria. The drug has been increasingly moved through Lebanon amid the economic crisis there, according to a November report from Agence France-Presse. 

Captagon is often sent to the Gulf — particularly Saudi Arabia — where it is popular. Saudi Arabia banned Lebanese produce in 2021 due to drug smuggling concerns. 

A 2022 report from the Washington-based Newlines Institute said that the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah is heavily involved in Captagon trafficking. The area has strong presence for Hezbollah and armed tribes.

The Lebanese army regularly conducts operations to stop drug trafficking. The army also said it had arrested 10 Lebanese citizens and two Syrians Thursday in a drug raid.

استكمالاً لعمليات الدهم التي بدأت بتاريخ ٢٠٢٣/٢/١٦ في بلدة حورتعلا ـــ البقاع، أوقفت وحدة من الجيش بمؤازرة دورية من مديرية المخابرات ١٠ مواطنين وسوريَّيْن اثنين، ٤/١#الجيش_اللبناني #LebaneseArmyhttps://t.co/hEejulBjd8

— الجيش اللبناني (@LebarmyOfficial) February 17, 2023

Know more: US President Joe Biden announced Lisa Johnson as his nominee for ambassador to Lebanon this week. Johnson currently works for the State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.

The Captagon issue affects other countries in the region as well. A Jordanian diplomat last year said that Captagon use in Jordan was being fueled by the poor economy in the kingdom as well as support from within the Syrian military for smuggling.