Jordan and Syria are seeking to reduce tensions following Jordanian airstrikes targeting ISIS positions in southern Syria's Daraa province. According to Syria, the strikes 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.
According to Rudaw media in Iraq, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi agreed to establish a joint security committee to investigate the incident. The committee is expected to meet within two days.
“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 quoted by Rudaw.
Damascus condemned the strikes as a violation of Syrian sovereignty. Jordan maintained that it targeted ISIS positions posing an imminent threat, claiming more than 20 terrorists were killed and a terrorist hideout containing weapons destroyed.
Attack on Christians in Jordan sparks response
The strikes 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 detailed its objections to the attack in a statement reported by Syrian state news agency SANA on Monday. The 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.
“We express our deep regret over the deaths and injuries among residents of Daraa province as a result of this operation,” the ministry said, according to SANA.
The ministry also said it was continuing to coordinate with Jordan to establish the circumstances of the strikes and address their consequences while safeguarding Syrian sovereignty. SANA, the Syrian state media, also quoted Daraa Health Director Dr. Khaled al-Omian, who said civilians, including children and an elderly man, were among those killed or injured in strikes on several locations in the Daraa countryside. Daraa is a southern province of Syria on the Jordanian border.
Daraa is a key area where the Syrian revolution began in 2011. Later, Syrian rebels held the area, and Jordan supported them. Around a million Syrians fled to Jordan from 2011 to 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 closed the border.
In a statement on October 27, reported by SANA, the Syrian government said the Jordanian operation occurred without prior notice or coordination. 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 Syria and Jordan have generally gotten along over the past year. However, Amman may be concerned increasingly about a power vacuum in southern Syria. Amman is also concerned about drug smuggling from Syria.
The new statement also confirmed that Syria 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 highlights the challenges Damascus faces. Its government shares Jordan's concerns about ISIS and other cross-border threats but 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, further suggests both governments want 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 integral to Jordan's national security.
Safadi said the Jordanian military operations were 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 uncoordinated military operations, such as bombing. For Syria, the challenge is to show it can address 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.
However, the civilian casualties in Daraa are concerning. Syrians are angry. They feel they are being bombed and attacked with impunity. They may have directed some anger over Israeli raids on 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 years after 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.