Jordan and Syria establish joint security committee after airstrikes

Jordan and Syria have agreed to form a joint security committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding recent Jordanian airstrikes in the Daraa governorate of southern Syria. The decision follows a phone call between Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and Syrian Foreign Minister Bassam Sabbagh.

Jordanian officials stated the strikes targeted ISIS terrorist groups based on field intelligence to neutralize imminent threats to Jordanian security. According to Jordanian government communications minister Mohammad Momani, the operations resulted in significant losses for terrorist groups, including over 20 militants and the destruction of a large weapons depot. Jordan expressed regret over civilian casualties, noting that a civilian tent was not the intended target but was caught in the blast radius of a strike on a nearby building used by an ISIS member.

Syrian authorities expressed reservations regarding military operations conducted within Syrian territory without prior coordination. Syrian health officials reported that the strikes killed eight people, including three children and a woman. The new joint committee aims to address the consequences of these operations, enhance field and intelligence coordination, and improve mechanisms to combat terrorism, arms smuggling, and drug trafficking along the shared border while respecting Syrian sovereignty.