Syria and Jordan Announce Formation of Committee to Examine Consequences of Jordanian Raids in Daraa

The Syrian and Jordanian governments announced the formation of a joint committee to monitor the repercussions of Jordanian airstrikes on Daraa province in southern Syria, which resulted in the deaths of seven civilians, including children, and injured three others.

In a statement, the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its condemnation and rejection of “Jordanian bombing operations that targeted several sites in Daraa province the day before yesterday, accompanied by violations of Syrian airspace without prior coordination, resulting in martyrs and casualties.”

The Ministry added: “Syria reiterates its strongest condemnation and severe denunciation of the treacherous and criminal targeting of St. George’s Church a few days ago, which constituted a blatant assault on religious and human values and a despicable attempt to undermine the cohesive fabric of Jordanian society.”

It continued: “While we offer our highest words of reverence and pride for the souls of the nation’s martyrs, extend our sincere condolences to their families, and wish the wounded a speedy recovery, we affirm that this field action is wholly and absolutely rejected and cannot be accepted under any pretext, as it represents a clear violation of the principles of good neighborliness and Syrian national sovereignty, and contradicts the frameworks for joint work and coordination.”

The Ministry clarified that Syria is fully convinced that suspicious parties are striving to spoil the distinguished fraternal relations between the two countries, working to sow discord, tense the atmosphere, and ignite crises among brothers.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry concluded its statement by saying: “Work is currently underway, in direct coordination with our brothers in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, to form an urgent joint field and security committee aimed at putting an end to these violations and field transgressions, preventing their recurrence, securing and protecting the shared borders between the two countries, and ensuring complete security and field coordination, thereby cutting off the path for anyone attempting to tamper with the security of both countries and shed the blood of their sons.”

In this context, the Syrian People’s Council condemned in a statement “the crime that claimed the lives of civilians, including children and women,” as a result of the Jordanian shelling. While affirming the deep relationship between the Syrian and Jordanian peoples, the Council called on both governments to open a joint investigation.

For her part, the Syrian General Authority for Crossings and Customs announced the closure of the Nussair border crossing with Jordan yesterday due to the current situation and field developments.

Meanwhile, residents of Daraa province buried the victims of the airstrikes in the presence of a wide official and public turnout.

Khaled Al-Omian, the Director of Health in Daraa, told the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) that the airstrikes targeted sites in Al-Tuffah in the Musmiyah area, as well as the surroundings of the towns of Nussair and Al-Muzayrib in the Daraa countryside.

For his part, Jordanian Government Spokesperson and Minister of Communications Dr. Mohammed Al-Momani affirmed Jordan’s pride in the fraternal relations linking the Kingdom with Syria, and its commitment to developing these ties in a manner that serves the interests of both countries and ensures coordination in confronting all shared challenges, including the Islamic State (ISIS) group, which poses a common threat to both nations. The official spokesperson stressed that the airstrikes carried out by the Jordanian Armed Forces – the Arab Army, the day before yesterday, targeted ISIS positions, after Jordan’s patience ran out regarding the movements of these terrorist organizations and their targeting of national security. He explained that the operations were conducted based on field intelligence to neutralize confirmed threats and terrorist operations against Jordan, noting that preliminary results of these operations indicate significant losses among ISIS ranks, estimated at more than 20 fighters, and the destruction of a large weapons depot belonging to the group. The spokesperson expressed regret over the occurrence of civilian casualties, emphasizing that Jordan refrained from targeting sites where intelligence indicated the presence of civilians, and confirmed that relevant Jordanian authorities are following up on this matter with their Syrian counterparts. Al-Momani stated that efforts would be made with Syria to establish a joint committee to monitor the repercussions of the operation against ISIS and to enhance coordination in combating the terrorist organization, thereby ensuring the security of both countries and their brotherly peoples and protecting civilians. The official government spokesperson reaffirmed that the security of Jordan and Syria is one, and that the fight against terrorism, which targeted Jordan a few days ago in the village of Hamoud in Karak, is a shared objective for both countries, which will continue to work on strengthening their entrenched fraternal relations. For his part, the Jordanian Public Security Directorate announced that its Cybercrime Prevention Unit is monitoring any posts or comments containing legal violations that incite hatred or insult others, within Jordan or abroad. In a statement relayed by the Jordan News Agency (Petra), the Public Security Directorate warned against external accounts attempting to stir up hate speech and insults against others, noting that they have identified numerous fake accounts operated from outside the Kingdom that seek to spread insults against Jordan and propagate hate speech to provoke others and expand the circles of insult.