Human Rights Watch for Jordan: Cross-border air strikes that kill civilians call for scrutiny

Today, Human Rights Watch called for officials in Jordan to be held accountable for air strikes carried out in Syria that killed children and women as part of a campaign to combat drug and weapons smugglers.

The organization said in a statement, “Jordan should ensure accountability for the air strikes in southeastern Syria that killed 10 people on January 18, and compensate the victims and their families, considering that “the raids, which killed women and children, amount to extrajudicial execution.”

The air strikes came as part of an intensive campaign launched by the Jordanian Armed Forces to combat drug and weapons smugglers, following recent clashes on the Jordanian border with armed groups said to be carrying drugs, weapons and explosives, according to the organization.

The organization indicated that it reviewed and verified the authenticity of photographs, videos, and satellite images showing severe damage at both sites, in addition to pictures of ammunition remnants collected from the site of the four connected houses that housed members of the Al-Halabi family.

While the Damascus government considered on January 23 that the Jordanian attacks were unjustified, the Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded without denying or confirming the occurrence of the attacks, but it stressed the threat posed by drug and weapons smuggling, its impact on Jordanian national security, and the Syrian regime’s failure to take effective action to combat such attacks. These operations are on its territory.

The organization called on Jordan to "ensure comprehensive and impartial investigations into the January 18 airstrike and previous raids, including determining how any policy related to launching the strikes was approved and who is responsible for it, ensuring that those responsible for violations are held accountable, and that the families of the victims are compensated for unlawful killings."

It also stressed that "Jordan's international partners who provide military and security assistance must ensure that the funds or support they provide are not used for unlawful killings or other human rights violations."

“Cross-border airstrikes that kill civilians warrant scrutiny, regardless of the threat posed by drug trafficking from southern Syria,” said Adam Coogle, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “Jordan should stop military strikes against non-military targets and compensate victims of previous attacks and their families.”

He added, "The last decade has produced in Syria an endless list of atrocities and incidents of impunity. Jordan should not exacerbate this by killing people who happen to be present while targeting drug operations in Syria."

T/Satt.

ANHA