Syriaupdated 1h ago2 min read
MapSyria Reopens Nasib Border Crossing With Jordan After Joint Security Committee Agreement
3 Asian3 West AsianMap: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL · Cropped for layout
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Nasib border crossing reopened for passenger and commercial traffic after temporary closure. Syria and Jordan will form a joint security committee to investigate airstrikes.
Save coverage image
Border reopens, probe begins
Syria reopened the Nasib border crossing with Jordan on Wednesday morning after a temporary closure, as Syria and Jordan agreed to establish a joint security committee to investigate recent Jordanian airstrikes on southern Syria. SANA reported that the agreement was reached during a telephone conversation between Syrian foreign affairs chief Asaad al-Shaibani and Ayman Safadi, Jordan's minister of foreign affairs and expatriates.
Jordanian air force struck several locations in Syria's southern Daraa province on Monday evening, killing seven civilians, including three children, and injuring three others. Al Jazeera said the crossing was briefly closed following the Jordanian airstrikes, which targeted ISIL “hideouts” in southern Syria on Monday in response to a Greek Orthodox church shooting by gunmen in Jordan’s Karak on Friday.
Competing accounts of coordination
Ayman Safadi told Asaad al-Shaibani that the strikes were based on field intelligence and aimed at “neutralising confirmed threats and imminent terrorist operations targeting Jordan’s security,” and Safadi expressed “deep regret” over civilian deaths. Syria denied Jordan’s claim that the strikes were coordinated with the Syrian government, and Syria objected to military operations inside Syrian territory without advance consultation.
Al Jazeera said Jordan’s strikes on Syria killed at least seven people in Deraa and Suwayda, including five members of the same family, three of whom were children. Global Times said Jordanian Armed Forces stated the operation targeted Islamic State militants and was conducted in coordination with Damascus, while Syrian state media said the committee would investigate the circumstances of the strikes.
Aftermath and next steps
The joint security committee will examine the aftermath of the strikes and develop “field and intelligence coordination in dealing with terrorist threats” to ensure the protection of innocent civilians, foreign ministers said in a statement following the phone call. Syria’s Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management said its teams responded to attacks at four sites, and Al Jazeera said Jordanian airstrikes killed at least seven people in Deraa and Suwayda.
Arab News said the joint statement would strengthen intelligence and security coordination between the two countries to combat terrorism and protect civilians, while Safadi stressed Jordan’s commitment to protecting Syrian lives and respecting sovereignty. Xinhua said Syria announced that passenger and commercial traffic through the Nasib border crossing with Jordan had returned to normal on Wednesday morning following its closure on Tuesday.