Damascus, July 16 (SANA)Syria’s Interior Ministrysaid on Thursday it had intercepted a large shipment of advanced weapons destined for theHezbollahterrorist militia, preventing it from entering the country through theSyrian-Iraqi border.

The ministry said specialized security units carried out the operation after detecting a suspicious vehicle parked near the border. A search uncovered a cache of weapons that included long-range missiles, guided anti-tank missiles and drones.

According to the ministry, preliminary investigations based on evidence collected at the scene indicated that the shipment was intended to transit Syrian territory before being delivered to the Hezbollah terrorist militia in Lebanon.

Authorities said investigations were continuing to identify everyone involved in the smuggling operation and dismantle the networks linked to it.

The Interior Ministry said protecting Syria’s borders and safeguarding national sovereignty remained a top priority, adding that it would not allow Syrian territory to be used as a transit route or launch point forarms smugglingor other activities that threaten the security of Syria or neighboring countries.