Daijiworld Media Network - Amman

Amman, Oct 28: Jordan and Syria have agreed to establish a joint security committee to examine the details and repercussions of recent Jordanian airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Syria, the two countries' foreign ministries said in a joint statement on Wednesday.

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told his Syrian counterpart Asaad al-Shibani that Tuesday's strikes were based on field intelligence and aimed at neutralising confirmed threats and imminent attacks against Jordan's security. He also expressed deep regret over civilian deaths during the operations.

Syria later announced that normal passenger and commercial traffic through the Nassib border crossing with Jordan would resume from Wednesday morning, according to state news agency SANA. The crossing, Jordan's only border point with Syria open to passenger and commercial traffic, had been briefly closed following the airstrikes.

Jordan said its forces had killed more than 20 Islamic State militants in airstrikes in southern Syria on Monday evening. The operation followed a deadly church attack in Jordan that authorities linked to militants allegedly operating across the border.

Syrian authorities, however, said the strikes killed seven people, including three children and a woman. Jordanian Government Communication Minister Mohammed al-Momani expressed regret over the civilian casualties in a post on X.

Jordan said its air force targeted suspected militant hideouts in southern Syria after determining that those allegedly responsible for the church attack were linked to terrorist groups based there. Separately, Jordanian security officials said two brothers and their brother-in-law had been arrested following a shootout linked to the attack, which killed nine people.

A resident of Al-Mismiyah in southern Syria, Salah Mahwash, told Reuters that an explosion and aircraft sounds were heard at around 10 pm. He said the victims included members of a poor family whose father had disappeared during earlier events and had been held at Sednaya prison.

The strikes have heightened tensions between the two countries, both of which have sought to counter extremism. Jordan is a longstanding US partner in the fight against militant groups, while Syria's Islamist-led government under President Ahmed al-Sharaa has said it wants to curb extremism and restore relations with Western countries after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in 2024.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry condemned the strikes as a violation of the country's sovereignty. Damascus also disputed Jordan's account that the operation had been conducted in coordination with Syrian authorities, saying the strikes took place without prior coordination and that an investigation would be held.

Despite the differences, Syria said it would coordinate with Jordan through the proposed joint security committee to strengthen border security and prevent similar incidents.

The latest agreement follows a similar understanding reached last year, when the two countries agreed to establish a committee to secure their shared border, combat arms and drug smuggling, and prevent a resurgence of Islamic State militancy.