DAMASCUS, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Syria's interim Defense Ministry announced on Thursday that its forces are continuing operations against remnants of the ousted Bashar al-Assad government and drug traffickers along the Syrian-Lebanese border.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, the military has also deployed heavy weaponry and drones to eliminate entrenched fighters linked to the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah and a drug cartel.

The military targeted militant positions in the village of Hawik in the central province of Homs with artillery, reportedly resulting in casualties and the capture of combatants on both sides.

The observatory added that the offensive extended across several border villages and rugged areas, leading to at least one fatality.

In an update, the media office in Homs Province confirmed that security forces launched an extensive operation to close illicit arms and contraband smuggling routes to curb illegal activities that threaten both Syrian and Lebanese stability.

According to the office, Syrian authorities have so far detained several individuals suspected of smuggling and seized stockpiles of weapons and contraband. Enditem

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