Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani announced that a joint investigative committee had begun work in Damascus to determine the circumstances of the Jordanian air force strike on Daraa province. He said Damascus had received no prior notification or request to coordinate, and that Syria insists on fully protecting the rights of those killed and injured, as well as respecting its sovereignty.
Al-Shaibani said the committee was set up after Jordanian and Syrian intelligence officials and representatives of the defense ministries met at the two sides’ direction. He stressed that the countries had been in round-the-clock contact, so Jordan could have sent Syria a security notification in advance. The minister also said the incident had been under the country’s leadership’s control from the outset, and assured the victims’ families that the state had not accepted Jordan’s account of events and would defend the interests of all Syrians.
According to the minister, an official statement is not enough: a full official investigation is needed, and the case will be pursued to its conclusion. He noted that in a joint statement, Jordan acknowledged that innocent people had been killed and offered condolences, and that the Jordanian side was cooperating. Al-Shaibani called for a wise response proportionate to the problem, so that a solution would not create a new crisis. He described Syrian-Jordanian relations as the best they had been in 100 years and stressed that the security of the two countries was inseparable.
Jordan and Syria had earlier agreed to form a joint security committee following Jordanian air force strikes on areas around Daraa on Monday evening, as part of Operation “Jordanian Deterrence — Hammoud.” Seven civilians were killed, including three children and a woman, and three others were injured. Damascus continues to demand a full official investigation, protection of the victims’ rights and respect for Syrian sovereignty.
News Q&A
- Why are Daraa province and its surroundings considered an especially sensitive area in Syrian-Jordanian relations—for example, because of the nearby border, smuggling problems or the memory of the events of 2011? — Daraa is a southern border region adjoining Jordan. It is home to the key Nassib/Jaber crossing and networks of cross-border trade and smuggling—including drugs, especially Captagon, weapons and people—so instability there is seen directly by Amman as a threat to national security. Historical memory also matters: the 2011 protests in Daraa became one of the symbols of the beginning of the Syrian uprising, while local armed groups, tribal and family ties on both sides of the border, and “reconciliation” agreements make the region difficult to control. For Jordan, it is at once a buffer zone, a source of risks from refugees and infiltration, a smuggling hub and a potential arena for outside influence.
- What lies behind the name of Jordan’s “Jordanian Deterrence — Hammoud” operation, and what threats along the Syrian-Jordanian border is it intended to address? — The name combines the official framing of “Jordanian Deterrence” with “Hammoud,” a name that in Jordanian military practice usually refers to a fallen service member or a key figure connected to the operation. This gives the action symbolic and mobilizing significance. The operation is primarily aimed at smuggling drugs—Captagon—along with weapons and people; cross-border criminal networks; and deterring armed groups and outside influence in southern Syria. Its goal is to prevent threats from crossing the border and to protect Jordan’s border areas and trade routes.
Full article: Al-Shaibani: No coordination preceded the bombing of Daraa, and the joint investigative committee has begun its work