Jordan and Syria are seeking to reduce tensions following Jordanian airstrikes against ISIS positions in southern Syria’s Daraa province.
According to Syria, the airstrikes on Monday killed seven civilians, including three children, and wounded three others. Jordan says it eliminated almost two dozen ISIS members.
The incident has raised questions about the future of security cooperation between Amman and Damascus.
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi agreed to establish a joint security committee to investigate the incident, Rudaw Media Network, a news channel in the autonomous Kurdistan Region of northern Iraq, reported. The committee is expected to meet within two days, the report said.
“This committee will review all the details and facts surrounding the recent operations, follow up on their consequences, and develop mechanisms for field and intelligence coordination to counter terrorist threats,” the two countries said in a joint statement, Rudaw reported.
Damascus condemned the airstrikes as a violation of Syrian sovereignty. Jordan said it had targeted ISIS positions posing an imminent threat, adding that more than 20 terrorists were killed and a terrorist hideout containing weapons was destroyed.
Attack on Christians in Jordan sparks response
The airstrikes followed a deadly attack on a Greek Orthodox church in Jordan’s Karak governorate that killed nine people. Amman linked the attack to militants operating in southern Syria, although it has not publicly presented evidence establishing that connection.
The Syrian Foreign Ministry said it had communicated this to Jordan with its “full reservation” regarding military operations carried out inside Syrian territory without prior coordination with Damascus, Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), Syria’s official news agency, reported Monday.
“We express our deep regret over the deaths and injuries among residents of Daraa province as a result of this operation,” it said, according to the report.
The ministry also said contacts with Jordan were continuing to establish the circumstances of the airstrikes and address their consequences while safeguarding Syrian sovereignty.
Daraa Health Director Dr. Khaled al-Omian said civilians, including children and an elderly man, were among those killed or injured in strikes on several locations in the Daraa countryside, SANA reported. Daraa Governorate is a southern province of Syria on the Jordanian border.
Daraa is key area where the Syrian revolution began in 2011. Syrian rebels later held this area, and Jordan helped support them.
About a million Syrians fled to Jordan from 2011-2023. Many have returned. Jordanian clans and tribes in northern Jordan have ties with Syrians on the other side of the border.
After the Assad regime fell, a border crossing reopened in southern Syria with Jordan. The strikes caused the border to close.
The Syrian government on Tuesday said the Jordanian operation had taken place without prior notification or coordination, SANA reported. Damascus said it had launched comprehensive investigations into the incident, and that government agencies were assessing the needs of affected families and arranging humanitarian assistance.
Jordan disputes this. The dispute is rare because, in general, Syria and Jordan have gotten along over the past year.
Amman might have growing concern about a power vacuum in southern Syria. It is also concerned about drug smuggling from Syria.
The latest Syrian statement also confirmed that Damascus had opened direct communication channels with Jordanian officials to examine the circumstances of the strikes. Damascus stressed the need for joint field and security coordination along the border to protect Syrian sovereignty and preserve stability in both countries.
The Syrian response illustrates the challenges facing Damascus. Its government shares Jordan’s concerns about ISIS and other cross-border threats, but it is also seeking to assert control over its territory and prevent neighboring countries from conducting unilateral operations.
Incident threatens to undermine relationship
A joint statement issued Wednesday by the Syrian and Jordanian foreign ministries, reported by SANA, provided further evidence that both governments are seeking to prevent the incident from undermining their growing relationship.
During a telephone conversation with Syria’s foreign minister, Shaibani, Jordan’s foreign minister, Safadi, reaffirmed Jordan’s respect for Syrian sovereignty and territorial integrity. He emphasized that Amman views Syria’s security and stability as an integral part of Jordan’s own national security.
Safadi said the Jordanian military operations had been based on intelligence gathered on the ground concerning imminent terrorist threats. He expressed regret over the civilian casualties, offered condolences to the Syrian people, and stressed that ISIS represents a common threat to both countries.
The ministers also emphasized their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations and addressing disagreements through dialogue rather than allowing them to escalate.
The diplomatic response shows that Amman recognizes the importance of working with Damascus rather than relying on military operations, such as bombing, without coordination.
For Syria, the challenge is to demonstrate that it can deal with security threats in its territory. It will need to investigate whether ISIS cells are present.
What comes next? The reopening of the Nasib border crossing on Wednesday, October 28, suggests both countries want to avoid a prolonged confrontation. Jordan and Syria have trade ties, and there will be work on border security and preventing the resurgence of ISIS.
The civilian casualties in Daraa, however, are concerning. Syrians are angry. They feel they are being bombed and attacked with impunity.
They may have directed some anger over Israeli raids in Jordan, because many in Daraa are also angry over Israel’s raids in the border area. As such, the anger is boiling over about a sense that Syria is not more secure since the Assad regime fell.
The current test will be whether the joint committee can investigate the incident, address Syrian concerns, and establish practical procedures for future counterterrorism operations.
The broader question is whether Jordan and Syria can transform their improving diplomatic relationship into a sustainable security partnership, particularly as Damascus seeks to reassert control over southern Syria and Jordan faces continuing threats along its northern border.