In the beginning of May 2024, several sources reported that a shipment of weapons originating from Iran, was delivered to local and foreign pro-Iranian militias in eastern Syria. The shipment, which included suicide UAVs, was smuggled into Syria through one of the illegal border crossings, east of Albukamal, under the protection of Kataib Hezbollah (Hezbollah movement in Iraq) and in coordination with the Assad regime. This crossing is run by the 4th division soldiers, commanded by Bashar al-Assad’s brother, Maher. A prominent Iranian figure in the Deir Ezor area is the commander of the Iranian-backed militias, Baker Karimi, also known as Haj Askar.
All the shipments crossing from Iraq to Syria are centered around the Al Sikek complex. It is a highly secured area containing warehouses military barracks. The shipment arrived at the town of Al-Salihiyah, near Mayadeen. Al-Salihiyah is considered one of the main centers used by Kataib-Hezbollah, and Lebanese Hezbollah for launching reconnaissance UAVs toward the eastern Euphrates area.
