UPDATE - Airstrike kills major drug dealer, his family near Jordanian-Syrian border

UPDATES WITH REMARKS OF JORDANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER

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.

Commenting on the report, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said his country will “announce any step it takes to ensure its security in a timely manner."

Speaking at a joint press conference with his Dutch counterpart, Wubke Hoekstra in Amman, Safadi said drug trafficking poses a serious threat to Jordan and the region, without confirming or denying the reported news.

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.

*Mahmoud Barakat contributed to this report from Ankara