Jordan forms joint committee after strikes in southern Syria

The Jordanian government reaffirmed its commitment to brotherly relations with Syria and its determination to develop cooperation and coordination between the two countries, stressing that combating ISIS remains a shared security priority amid the challenges facing the region.

The statements came a day after Amman announced that it had carried out airstrikes in southern Syria targeting sites it said were linked to “terrorist” organizations. The strikes followed investigations linking those groups to suspects in last week’s attack on a church in Jordan’s Karak Governorate.

Jordanian Government Communications Minister and government spokesperson Mohammad al-Momani said the military operations targeted ISIS sites based on field intelligence aimed at thwarting threats and attacks against Jordanian security.

He added that preliminary estimates indicated that more than 20 ISIS mercenaries had been killed and a large weapons depot destroyed.

Al-Momani stressed that Jordan and Syria had maintained institutional coordination for years on combating “terrorism” and arms and drug smuggling. He announced that the two countries had agreed to establish a joint committee to address the consequences of the latest operation and strengthen cooperation against extremist groups.

While expressing regret over civilian casualties, the Jordanian official said Jordanian forces had taken precautions to avoid striking sites believed to contain civilians. He added that the relevant authorities were following up on the matter with their Syrian counterparts.

Damascus had earlier announced an investigation into the airstrikes, emphasizing the importance of security and field coordination in border areas. Syrian state media also quoted the Foreign Ministry as expressing reservations about military operations conducted inside Syrian territory without prior coordination, highlighting differences between the Syrian and Jordanian accounts of the coordination that preceded the strikes.

On the ground, local Syrian sources reported civilian casualties from the airstrikes targeting sites in the countryside of Daraa and Sweida. Meanwhile, Syria’s General Authority for Border Crossings and Customs announced the closure of the Nasib border crossing and the temporary suspension of passenger and commercial traffic between the two countries, saying the decision was linked to recent security developments in Daraa Governorate.

A-H 

ANHA