His Majesty King Abdullah, the Supreme Commander of the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army (JAF), on Wednesday attended a tactical exercise by the 61st Raiders Battalion of the Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Quick Reaction Force Brigade (QRF).

King Abdullah, accompanied by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II, was received at the location of the exercise by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Maj. Gen. Yousef Hneiti and senior JAF officers.

His Majesty was briefed by the battalion and brigade commanders on operational, training, and logistical issues, as well as the components of the exercise, which aims to advance participants’ combat preparedness, Petra news agency reported.

The exercise entailed the use of advanced equipment, with support from the Royal Jordanian Air Force, to provide cover for ground forces in mountainous terrain.

In another development, a Jordan Armed Forces- Arab Army statement said a Border Guard unit on Tuesday foiled an attempt by a group of smugglers to infiltrate the Kingdom’s northeastern borders with Syria, seizing a large haul of drugs.

Upon spotting the smugglers, the statement indicated, border guard troops engaged the group, which was forced to retreat into Syrian territory, leaving behind 377,000 pills of fenethylline sold under the brand name Captagon.

The army said it will not tolerate and will firmly deal with any attempt to infiltrate the nation’s borders or bring in contraband.