Syria recalls the Jordanian ambassador and hands him a protest note

The Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates announced the recall of the Jordanian ambassador to Damascus, Sufyan al-Qadha, and handed him a protest note regarding Jordanian airstrikes that targeted sites in Daraa province in southern Syria. The Syrian Foreign Ministry said in a statement, carried by the state news agency SANA, that the bombing hit civilian sites, killing several civilians, including children, and injuring others. The Jordanian Air Force carried out strikes on areas in southern Syria on Monday evening, which Jordan said targeted sites belonging to “terrorist groups,” in response to an attack on a church in Karak on Friday. The Syrian Ministry of Health pointed to civilian casualties in Daraa province as a result of the strikes, while the bombing sparked an official protest from Damascus. For his part, Jordanian government spokesperson and Minister of Communications, Mohammad Momani, said his country carried out the strikes after its “patience ran out” regarding the movements of terrorist groups and their targeting of Jordan’s national security. Momani, via his account on the X platform, clarified that the operation came after what he described as the continued threats posed by terrorist groups, noting the existence of “institutional and continuous coordination for years” between Jordan and Syria in combating terrorism and the smuggling of weapons and drugs. Jordan also announced the formation of a joint committee to follow up on the repercussions of the operation against the “Daesh” (ISIS) group and to work on developing coordination mechanisms in combating the organization.