The key facts

  • Jordanian border guards clashed with a group of about 14 armed men attempting to enter from Syria under covering fire
  • Some members of the group were wounded, while the rest retreated into Syrian territory; the fate of the wounded was not specified
  • The incident occurred two days after the reopening of the sole border crossing, which had been closed due to Jordanian airstrikes in southern Syria

Nighttime border clash

Jordanian border guards engaged in a firefight overnight Friday with a group of armed men attempting to infiltrate the country from Syria under intense covering fire, the Jordanian army said. According to the military statement, the group consisted of about 14 people; the border guards acted The incident was reported by The National.

Context: crossing closure and airstrikes

The incident took place just two days after Syria and Jordan reopened their sole border crossing to passenger and cargo traffic. It had been temporarily closed following Jordanian airstrikes in southern Syria, which, according to Syrian authorities, killed seven civilians, including three children, a woman and an elderly man. The Jordanian armed forces said two ISIS members were killed in the strikes; the attacks on militant hideouts in the provinces of Daraa and Suwayda were linked to the church shooting in Karak, where gunmen opened fire on a funeral procession, killing nine people and wounding at least thirty.

Diplomatic settlement

The airstrikes, carried out on Monday, triggered a diplomatic dispute between the two countries. To ease tensions, Damascus and Amman agreed to establish a joint security committee, which is to investigate the strikes and strengthen intelligence and security cooperation against threats from militants. The attempted armed infiltration overnight Friday occurred after this agreement and after the reopening of the crossing, underscoring the continued tension on the border; the Jordanian military statement did not link the group to any specific organization.