DAMASCUS, March 28 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian army on Saturday dismantled a tunnel linking Syrian and Lebanese territories near a western border village, state news agency SANA reported.
The passage had been used for smuggling by "Lebanese militias," according to the report.
In a separate operation, the army foiled a narcotics smuggling attempt from Lebanon, exchanging fire briefly with the smugglers who subsequently fled the scene, according to the authorities.
Authorities reaffirmed efforts to tighten border control and crack down on drug trafficking networks along the rugged border between Syria and Lebanon, where porous mountain terrain has long served as a corridor for fighters and arms during Syria's years-long conflict. ■
