After Jordanian Airstrikes in Daraa, Damascus and Amman Agree to Form Joint Committee

Syria and Jordan announced on Tuesday that they are working to form a joint committee to discuss the repercussions of the Jordanian bombing of Daraa province, southern Syria, on Monday, affirming the "depth of fraternal relations" between the two countries.

The Jordanian Air Force carried out an operation named "Jordanian Deterrence – Hammoud" on Monday, targeting what it described as "dens of terrorist organizations" in southern Syria, linking them to the perpetrators of the attack on the Karak church. This was met with reservations from Damascus, which stated that the strikes caused civilian casualties and were conducted "without prior coordination."

In a statement on Tuesday, the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that work is "currently underway in direct coordination with our brothers in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to form an urgent joint field and security committee."

It clarified that the committee aims to "put an end to these violations and field transgressions and prevent their recurrence, regulate and secure the protection of the shared borders between the two countries, and ensure complete security and field coordination to cut off any attempt to tamper with the security of both countries and shed the blood of their citizens."

Syria expressed in the statement its "strongest condemnation and rejection of the Jordanian bombing operations witnessed yesterday in the region, which targeted several sites in Daraa province, accompanied by unacceptable violation and breach of Syrian airspace without any prior coordination, resulting in the martyrdom of several individuals and injuries."

It affirmed that "this field action is categorically rejected and cannot be accepted under any pretext, as it constitutes a clear breach of the principles of good neighborliness and Syrian national sovereignty, and contradicts frameworks for common work and coordination."

The Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs added that Damascus is "fully convinced that there are suspicious parties striving to disrupt the distinguished fraternal relations between the two countries, working to sow discord, tense the atmosphere, and ignite crises among brothers."

"Strength of Relations"
For his part, Jordan announced on Tuesday that it will work with Syria to "form a joint committee to follow up on the repercussions of the operation against ISIS, and develop coordination in combating the terrorist organization, ensuring the security of both countries and their brotherly peoples and protecting civilians."

Jordanian Minister of Government Communications and official government spokesperson, Mohammad Al-Momani, said that coordination between Jordan and Syria in "combating terrorism, arms smuggling, and drug trafficking is institutional and continuous for years, stemming from a firm belief in consolidating the security of the two brotherly countries, and reflecting their joint work to establish security and stability."

He considered that the security of Jordan and Syria is one, and that combating terrorism, which targeted Jordan days ago in the village of Hammoud in Karak, is a shared goal for the two countries, which will continue to work on strengthening their established fraternal relations.

He announced that the airstrikes carried out by the Jordanian Armed Forces on Monday targeted ISIS sites in Syria, noting that preliminary results of the operation indicate the killing of more than 20 members of the organization and the destruction of a large weapons depot.

The Jordanian Minister of Government Communications said the operations were based on field information, aiming to neutralize confirmed threats and terrorist operations targeting Jordanian national security, after Jordan's "patience ran out regarding the movements of terrorist organizations and their targeting of national security," according to the Jordan News Agency (Petra).

Al-Momani expressed "regret over civilian casualties," stating that Jordan "refrained from targeting sites where information indicated the presence of civilians," confirming that "relevant Jordanian authorities are following up on this matter with their counterparts among the Syrian brothers."

The statement noted that "Jordan today affirmed its pride in the fraternal relations linking the Kingdom to the sister Arab Republic of Syria, and its keenness to develop these relations to serve the interests of the two brotherly countries, ensuring coordination in facing all common challenges, including the ISIS organization, which poses a shared threat to both countries."