Jordan and Syria agreed late on Tuesday to establish a joint security committee to investigate deadly Jordanian air strikes in southern Syria and enhance coordination to safeguard Syrian sovereignty.
The agreement followed a phone call between Syrian foreign minister Asaad al Shaibani and his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi, according to a joint statement.
The committee will examine the details of Monday’s strikes and their aftermath while developing mechanisms for intelligence sharing and coordination on the ground.
Seven people were killed and three injured in Jordan’s strikes, Syria’s Al Ekhbariya TV reported early on Tuesday, citing Daraa province’s health directorate.
The Jordanian army announced on Monday that it had struck sites belonging to groups it linked to Friday’s attack on mourners at a church in Hamoud village in Jordan’s southern Karak province.
Nine people were killed in the church attack, according to Jordan’s Public Security Directorate.
Safadi expressed “deep regret and sorrow” over the civilian deaths and offered condolences to the Syrian people, the statement said.
He said the strikes targeted Daesh sites and were based on intelligence about confirmed threats and imminent attacks against Jordan.
Safadi also affirmed Jordan’s respect for Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, saying the security and stability of the two countries were linked.
The ministers stressed the need for direct security coordination to counter shared threats, protect civilians and combat cross-border weapons and drug smuggling.
The Syrian government said the operation had taken place without prior coordination with Damascus. Its Foreign Ministry later said it had conveyed its objections to Jordan.
