Airstrike kills major drug dealer, his family near Jordan-Syria border

By Ahmed Asmar

ANKARA (AA) - An airstrike killed a major drug dealer and his seven family members in southern Syria near the border with Jordan, according to a UK-based rights group on Monday.

In a statement, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said a house was targeted in the Syrian village of Al-Sha’ab in Al-Suwaidaa, killing drug dealer Marai al-Ramthan, his wife and six children.

The group believes that Jordan is likely behind the airstrike, but there was no confirmation yet from the Jordanian authorities.

Jordan has seen hundreds of smuggling attempts in recent years, particularly from Syria, as a result of deteriorating security conditions there.

Last month, the foreign ministers of Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the Syrian regime held a meeting in Amman during which they agreed to enhance cooperation to curb drug smuggling through Syrian borders.