- विज्ञापन -
Amman: Jordan’s Interior Minister Mazen Farrayah has announced the closure of the Jaber border crossing with Syria due to deteriorating security conditions in southern Syria.
According to the Ministry’s statement released on Friday, Jordanian citizens and trucks will be permitted to return to Jordan, but outbound traffic to Syria will be prohibited. The Ministry emphasized that Jordan is closely monitoring the situation in Syria, while the armed forces continue to secure the borders.
The Jaber crossing, known as the Nassib crossing in Syria, is located on the Damascus-Amman international highway and has been the only operational passenger and commercial border crossing between the two nations, as reported by Xinhua.
On Friday, clashes erupted near the Nassib crossing in Syria, where armed groups reportedly infiltrated the area and attacked positions held by the Syrian army, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights based in Britain.
Since the Syrian civil war began in 2011, the crossing has been closed several times, including a three-year closure starting in April 2015, before reopening in October 2018.
Jordan and Syria have two main border crossings. The Al-Gomruk Al-Qadim crossing, known as Ramtha in Jordan, has been inactive for years due to the ongoing conflict in Syria. In contrast, the Nassib crossing has intermittently operated amid the turmoil.
In Syria, clashes between opposition forces and regime troops have intensified since November 27. By November 29, opposition forces captured Aleppo, subsequently taking control of Idlib province the following day. After securing these areas, they advanced into Hama on Thursday after fierce battles with regime forces.
On Friday, opposition fighters began moving into neighborhoods in Homs, starting from the western al-Waer district, with the aim of reaching the city center. Earlier in December, the Syrian National Army launched “Operation Dawn of Freedom” to prevent the establishment of a terrorist corridor between Tel Rifaat in Aleppo province and northeastern Syria, successfully liberating Tel Rifaat from PKK/YPG terrorists.
