Oct 31 (Reuters) – Jordanian border guards stopped a group of 14 armed individuals attempting to cross into the country from Syria, state news agency Petra quoted the armed forces as saying on Saturday.
They tried to infiltrate on Friday under heavy fire and direct engagement, causing numerous casualties among the group. Some fled back into Syria, the armed forces said.
The report could not be found on Petra’s website later in the day. No correction had been issued by Saturday evening.
Petra did not elaborate on the identity of the 14 people.
Jordan faces persistent security challenges along its border with Syria, including drug and weapons smuggling. Networks have employed increasingly sophisticated tactics to transport narcotics across the border.
The attempted infiltration came after Jordan launched airstrikes on southern Syria on Monday, saying it targeted hideouts of militant groups it linked to a deadly attack on a church in Jordan earlier this month. It said more than 20 Islamic State militants were killed in the strikes.
Nine people were killed and at least 34 wounded when gunmen opened fire during a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in the village of Hamoud, in Jordan’s southern Karak governorate, on October 23.
King Abdullah ordered an “iron fisted” response by security forces to the highly unusual attack on Jordan’s Christian minority, which he and other top officials blamed on “extremist terrorists”.
Islamic State, which was defeated by a US-led coalition, has been trying to make a comeback in neighboring Iraq and Syria, where it once controlled large areas.
Jordan, a US partner in the fight against Islamist militant groups, is regarded as a relatively stable state in the Middle East. Its security services have foiled plots by Islamist militants in the past, including suspected Islamic State supporters.
Jordan’s strikes on southern Syria created tensions between Amman and Damascus, with Syria condemning them as a violation of its sovereignty and saying they had killed seven civilians, including three children and a woman. Jordan’s foreign minister expressed regret over civilian casualties and reaffirmed Amman’s respect for Syria’s sovereignty.
The two countries agreed to establish a joint security committee to investigate the strikes and their aftermath and strengthen intelligence sharing and coordination on the ground.
BORDER SECURITY COOPERATION
Relations between Jordan and Syria had improved following the ousting of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. They stepped up cooperation on border security, trade and efforts to combat drug trafficking and militant groups.
The recent airstrikes, however, have tested that rapprochement, although both sides have sought to ease strains through renewed security coordination.
“There is a lot of cooperation with Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon in order to guarantee the security and stability of the borders. Our region is facing lots of challenges, however, with cooperation we can overcome the challenges,” Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said at the Manama Dialogue conference in Bahrain on Saturday.
(Writing by Tala Ramadan and Hatem Maher; Editing by Michael Georgy)
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