Syria-Jordan Border Reopens After Deadly Strikes Spark Joint Probe
Syria reopens its border with Jordan, and both nations will investigate Jordanian airstrikes targeting ISIL 'hideouts' that killed seven.
Syria announced it will reopen its border crossing with Jordan on Wednesday morning, allowing regular passenger and commercial traffic to resume. The Nassib border crossing, Jordan's sole link to Syria, had been temporarily closed following Jordanian air strikes on suspected ISIL "hideouts" in southern Syria. These strikes, conducted on Monday, resulted in the deaths of at least seven people in the Deraa and Suwayda regions, including a family of five, three of whom were children.
The airstrikes were a direct response to a deadly shooting at a Greek Orthodox church in Jordan's Karak on Friday, an attack for which ISIL later claimed responsibility. The Syrian Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management confirmed its teams responded to incidents at four separate locations.
In the wake of the incident, the foreign ministers of Syria and Jordan held a phone call and agreed to establish a joint security committee. This committee will be tasked with investigating the aftermath of the Jordanian strikes and will also focus on enhancing field and intelligence coordination to counter terrorist threats and safeguard civilian lives. Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi stated that Monday's air attacks were based on intelligence indicating imminent terrorist operations targeting Jordan's security and expressed "deep regret" over the civilian casualties, reaffirming Jordan's commitment to Syria's sovereignty.
Syrian officials, however, denied prior coordination with the Syrian government regarding the strikes, a point of contention between the two nations. The joint security committee aims to bridge this gap by developing coordinated strategies for dealing with future terrorist threats.
The church shooting in Karak claimed the lives of at least nine people and injured 34 others. Jordanian security forces have since arrested three suspects in connection with the attack.
The reopening of the border crossing signifies a move towards de-escalation and continued cooperation on security matters, despite the recent tensions. Both countries appear keen to manage the fallout from the strikes and prevent further incidents that could destabilize the region.
This incident highlights the ongoing threat posed by ISIL in the region and the complex security challenges faced by neighboring countries. The formation of the joint security committee underscores the shared interest in combating terrorism, even amidst differing accounts of operational coordination.
The investigation into the strikes and the subsequent strengthening of intelligence sharing are expected to be crucial steps in rebuilding trust and ensuring the safety of civilians along the shared border.
This article was written by AI based on publicly available news reporting. Original reporting by the linked source.