Damascus and Amman have agreed to investigate Jordanian airstrikes that Syrian authorities say killed seven civilians, including three children, while signing 11 cooperation documents covering transport, investment, education and food security. The agreement marks an effort to contain a diplomatic dispute and preserve a broader rapprochement between the neighbouring countries.
Syria and Jordan have agreed to establish a joint security and technical committee to investigate deadly Jordanian airstrikes in southern Syria last month, as the two countries seek to prevent the incident from damaging their expanding diplomatic and economic relationship.
The announcement followed a meeting in Damascus on Monday, 9 November, between Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi. The ministers also oversaw the signing of 11 cooperation documents at the third session of the Syrian-Jordanian Higher Coordination Council.
The investigation concerns airstrikes carried out by Jordan on 26 October in Syria’s southern Deraa province. Syrian authorities said the attacks killed seven civilians, including three children. Jordan said its forces had targeted Islamic State militants allegedly connected to a deadly church attack in Jordan’s Karak province.
The diplomatic meeting was the first high-level engagement between the two governments since the strikes, which exposed disagreements over cross-border military operations and the coordination of security activities.
Joint committee to examine the Deraa airstrikes
Al-Shaibani said the two governments had established a joint security and technical committee to examine the circumstances surrounding the airstrikes. He described Jordan as having shown understanding and a willingness to resolve the incident.
“Work is underway to redress the harm and compensate the innocent victims,” the Syrian foreign minister said at the joint press conference.
Safadi expressed condolences to the families of those killed, saying that Syrian lives were as precious as Jordanian lives. He also stressed that the relationship between the two countries remained strong despite the incident.
The announcement represents a diplomatic step towards addressing the civilian deaths, although neither government has published the committee’s findings or a detailed timetable for completing its investigation.
The original dispute followed Jordanian military operations on the evening of 26 October. Amman said its forces had struck locations used by Islamic State militants in southern Syria. Jordanian officials said the operation killed more than 20 militants and destroyed weapons depots.
The operation followed a deadly shooting at a church in Jordan’s Karak province, where nine people were killed and 40 injured. Jordanian authorities linked suspects in the attack to militant groups operating across the Syrian border.
However, the strikes prompted strong objections from Damascus. Syria’s Foreign Ministry described the operation as a violation of its sovereignty, saying it had taken place without prior coordination. Jordan’s military had said the operation was conducted in coordination with the Syrian government, a claim Damascus disputed.
Jordanian officials subsequently expressed regret over civilian casualties. The latest agreement to investigate the incident is therefore an attempt to address the competing accounts and restore confidence between the neighbouring governments.
Eleven agreements cover trade, transport and education
Alongside the security discussions, the two governments signed 11 cooperation documents designed to deepen institutional and economic relations.
Jordan’s state news agency Petra reported that the package consisted of eight memoranda of understanding, two executive programmes and one cooperation protocol.
The documents cover public administration, agriculture, civil aviation, education, higher education and scientific research, environmental protection, water management, investment, railway connectivity, youth affairs and food security.
Among the agreements are programmes for educational cooperation and academic exchanges covering 2027 to 2029. The governments also agreed to cooperate on cloud-seeding projects in the Yarmouk River basin, an important shared water system.
The railway memorandum is intended to advance a wider regional transport corridor connecting Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria and Türkiye. Such a route could improve the movement of goods across the region and provide additional links between Gulf markets and destinations further north.
The agreements build on earlier efforts to formalise cooperation between the two countries. According to al-Shaibani, Syria and Jordan had previously signed 35 agreements and memoranda, with another 11 documents concluded during the latest council session.
Trade and infrastructure become central to rapprochement
Economic cooperation has become a significant part of the diplomatic reset between Damascus and Amman.
Al-Shaibani said bilateral trade had nearly tripled over the previous year to approximately $330 million. He also said that 20 of Syria’s 22 ministries were now engaged in direct cooperation with Jordan.
The two sides have discussed upgrading the Nassib-Jaber border crossing, a key route for commercial traffic between the countries. Plans include round-the-clock operations, separate lanes for freight and passenger vehicles, improved traffic management and electronic customs systems.
Syria’s state news agency SANA also reported that a $47 million project had been approved to rehabilitate the international highway connecting Syria and Jordan.
The governments are examining further possibilities, including a joint economic zone along their border, improvements to the existing free-trade zone and renewed cooperation between business organisations.
Energy and food supplies also featured in the wider discussions. Natural gas has been flowing through Jordan to Syrian power plants since January, according to SANA. The two governments have also discussed the possibility of Jordan importing surplus Syrian wheat and barley.
These projects could provide practical incentives for both sides to maintain stable relations, particularly as Syria seeks to rebuild infrastructure and restore economic activity following years of conflict.
Security cooperation remains a priority
Despite the recent dispute, security remains a central part of the relationship.
Jordan has long been concerned about militant activity, weapons trafficking and drug smuggling along its northern border. The two governments have previously agreed to cooperate on border security and efforts to prevent a resurgence of Islamic State activity.
Safadi said the countries were continuing to work together against terrorism and cross-border trafficking. The creation of a joint committee following the airstrikes may provide a mechanism for addressing security disagreements before they develop into wider diplomatic confrontations.
The meeting also took place against a complicated regional backdrop. Safadi reiterated Jordan’s support for Syria’s stability and rejected Israeli actions in Syrian territory, calling for international efforts to prevent further escalation.
For Damascus, maintaining constructive relations with Jordan is important as the government pursues reconstruction, seeks regional economic partnerships and works to strengthen control over its borders.
A diplomatic test for both governments
The November 9 meeting demonstrated that neither government wants the airstrikes dispute to derail a wider process of normalisation.
The joint investigation provides a framework for examining the civilian deaths and addressing their consequences. The 11 cooperation documents, meanwhile, give both governments a broader agenda spanning transport, trade, education, water and investment.
However, the immediate success of the diplomatic initiative will depend on how effectively the committee investigates the incident, whether the promised redress for victims is delivered and whether security coordination improves in practice.
The agreements represent progress in bilateral engagement, but they do not by themselves resolve the underlying questions surrounding the October operation.
For Syria and Jordan, the challenge now is to turn renewed diplomatic commitments into practical cooperation while ensuring that future cross-border security operations do not create another crisis between the neighbours.