Syria reopens Jordan border crossing after mending ties– www.channelnewsasia.com

DAMASCUS: Syria reopened its main border crossing with Jordan on Wednesday (Oct 28) as the two countries reaffirmed ties that were strained by a deadly retaliatory strike by Jordanian forces.

Jordan’s strike – a reprisal against a gun attack on a church – sparked the worst crisis between the two countries since the ousting of longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.

Syria condemned the strikes on the country’s south as an “unacceptable violation”, while Jordan said it killed more than 20 militant fighters in its raid.

Jordan sought to ease tensions on Tuesday, saying it had “great respect” for its neighbour and expressed regret for civilian casualties.

The main Nassib border crossing, known as Jaber on the Jordanian side, was closed following the strikes, but passenger and commercial movement will return to normal as of Wednesday morning, senior Syrian customs official Mazen Alloush told state news agency SANA.

Last week, gunmen opened fire during a funeral service at a Greek Orthodox church in southern Jordan’s Karak governorate, killing nine people and wounding 25 – prompting a military response from Amman.

While Jordan insisted it coordinated its airstrikes with Syria, Damascus denied the claim, and Syria’s civil defence agency said the raids killed seven people, including three children.

On Tuesday, Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi spoke to his Syrian counterpart and emphasised Jordan’s “full respect for Syria’s sovereignty … and security”, while also expressing “sorrow and grief over the death of innocent civilian victims”, according to a joint statement.