DAMASCUS: Syria summoned Jordan’s ambassador on Wednesday and handed him a formal note of protest over Jordanian airstrikes that killed seven civilians, including three children, in southern Syria earlier this week, the Syrian Arab News Agency reported.
The Syrian Foreign Ministry said Ambassador Sufian Al-Qudah was summoned over Monday’s strikes on “civilian sites” in Daraa, which Jordan said targeted Daesh positions in response to an attack on a church in Karak that killed nine people and injured at least 40.
The diplomatic protest came a day after Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi expressed “deep regret” over the civilian deaths during a phone call with his Syrian counterpart Asaad Al-Shaibani.
The two ministers agreed to establish a joint security committee to investigate the circumstances and repercussions of the strikes and strengthen intelligence coordination to protect civilian lives.
Safadi said the operation was based on intelligence indicating imminent terrorist threats to Jordan, while reaffirming his country’s respect for Syrian sovereignty and territorial integrity.
No group has been confirmed as responsible for the church attack, although Jordanian authorities have linked those behind it to militants operating across the border in Syria.
