Syria has reopened its main border crossing with Jordan following diplomatic efforts to ease tensions triggered by Jordanian airstrikes in southern Syria.
The strikes, launched in response to a deadly shooting at a church, sparked the most serious dispute between the two countries since the removal of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
Damascus condemned the attacks as an “unacceptable violation” of its sovereignty, while Amman said its military operation killed more than 20 suspected Islamic State (IS) fighters.
Jordan moved to ease the diplomatic tensions on Tuesday, expressing respect for Syria and regret over civilian casualties.
Mazen Alloush, a senior Syrian customs official, told the state-run news agency SANA that the Nassib border crossing, known as Jaber on the Jordanian side, had been closed following the strikes. He said passenger and commercial traffic would resume normal operations from Wednesday morning.
The tensions followed a gun attack last week during a funeral service at a Greek Orthodox church in Jordan’s Karak governorate, which left nine people dead and 25 others wounded, prompting a military response from Amman.
Jordan maintained that it had coordinated the airstrikes with Syrian authorities, but Damascus rejected the claim. Syria’s civil defence agency reported that seven people, including three children, were killed in the attacks.
On Tuesday, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi held a telephone conversation with his Syrian counterpart, reaffirming Amman’s respect for Syria’s sovereignty and security. According to a joint statement, Safadi also expressed sorrow over the deaths of innocent civilians.
The two ministers discussed military operations targeting locations described as Islamic State sites.
Earlier, Jordanian government spokesperson Mohammad al-Momani said preliminary assessments indicated that more than 20 IS fighters had been killed. He added that a major weapons depot belonging to the group had also been destroyed.
Syria’s Foreign Ministry strongly denounced the strikes, describing them as an unauthorised breach of its airspace and a violation of national sovereignty.
The ministry also said the operation undermined the principles of good neighbourly relations.
A joint Syrian-Jordanian security committee is expected to meet in the coming days to discuss operations against the Islamic State group, according to a source cited by the Syrian state news agency.
Syrian authorities said five people, including a woman and three children, were killed in the village of Al-Taf in Daraa province, near the Jordanian border. Two additional fatalities were reported elsewhere in southern Syria.
A resident of Al-Taf, Nassouh al-Salim, said his mother, elder brother and three children from the family had died when a missile struck their home while they were asleep.
An AFP correspondent at the scene reported seeing a large crater in the damaged house, with schoolbooks, clothing and broken furniture scattered across the rubble.
Syrian Emergencies and Disaster Management Minister Raed al-Saleh said the two countries were addressing the dispute through diplomatic and legal channels, with the aim of ensuring justice for the victims.
Jordanian authorities announced on Monday that three people had been arrested in connection with the church shooting. Two of the suspects are brothers, while the third is related to them by marriage.
Officials said the suspects were receiving hospital treatment after being wounded in a confrontation with security forces.
The attack occurred in Karak, an area with a significant Christian community. Christians account for an estimated two to three per cent of Jordan’s predominantly Muslim population.
King Abdullah II vowed that those responsible would face punishment, warning that individuals promoting extremist ideologies aimed at dividing Jordanians would not be tolerated.
The Islamic State group lost control of its territorial strongholds in Syria in 2019 after capturing large areas during the country’s more than 13-year civil war. However, remnants of the organisation remain active and continue to claim occasional attacks, mainly against Syrian security forces.
The group has also maintained a presence in parts of Daraa province, highlighting continuing security concerns along Syria’s southern border.
