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Jordanian forces have foiled an attempt by 14 armed individuals to infiltrate the kingdom from Syria, the military said on October 30, as Amman reinforces its northern border amid escalating tensions with Damascus over the increasing activities of terrorist groups and traffickers.
In a statement, the Jordanian Armed Forces said a unit of the Northern Military Zone’s Border Guard Forces intercepted the group on the evening of the previous day as it attempted to cross into Jordanian territory under heavy gunfire.
Jordanian troops engaged the infiltrators, inflicting what the military described as numerous casualties. The remaining members fled back into Syrian territory. The military did not identify the group or provide a precise casualty count.
The incident comes amid reports of additional Jordanian military deployments along the northern border. Footage circulated online showed military vehicles moving toward the border, particularly around the Ramtha sector and al-Turra, opposite Syria’s Daraa, as well as activity near the Jaber-Nassib border crossing.
The reinforcement comes against the backdrop of rising tensions following Jordanian strikes against targets in southern Syria earlier in the week.
Amman said the October 26 operation targeted ISIS positions and militant networks linked to an attack that killed nine people at a Greek Orthodox church funeral in Karak. Damascus condemned the strikes as a violation of Syrian sovereignty, saying they were conducted without prior coordination and killed civilians.
Syrian authorities reported seven deaths, including five members of one family. Jordan subsequently acknowledged civilian casualties and expressed regret.
Despite the dispute, the two governments have maintained diplomatic contacts. On October 28, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and his Syrian counterpart, Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, agreed to establish a joint security committee to investigate the airstrikes and improve intelligence sharing and coordination on the ground. Both countries also reiterated their commitment to combating terrorism and cross-border drug and weapons trafficking.
However, the latest infiltration attempt highlights the growing gap between these diplomatic commitments and the security situation along the border.
Jordanian officials have repeatedly warned that areas in southern Syria outside the control of regular government forces have become operating grounds for terrorist groups and traffickers.
A Jordanian source told Asharq Al-Awsat earlier this week that terrorist groups were cooperating with smuggling networks and using positions in southern Syria to threaten Jordanian security.
The latest developments point to an increasingly serious crisis between the two neighbors. Despite continued diplomatic contacts and pledges to expand security cooperation, Damascus has yet to demonstrate that it can effectively counter terrorist groups and dismantle trafficking networks operating in southern Syria.
Whether because of limited state capacity or an unwillingness to confront these groups, Syria’s failure to contain the threats along its southern frontier is pushing Jordan toward a more assertive border-security posture and threatening to undermine the rapprochement between the two countries.
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seems evident that the zionists are attacking also jordan through their proxy terrorists that are in charge of syria.