Jordan stops armed group from attempting to enter from Syria, armed forces say
Oct 31 -
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forces → stop → Syria
Jordanian border guards stopped a group of 14 armed individuals attempting to cross into the country from Syria, state news agency Petra quoted the armed forces as saying on Saturday.
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agency → stop → Saturday
They tried to infiltrate on Friday under heavy fire and direct engagement, causing numerous casualties among the group.
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They → try → group
Some fled back into Syria, the armed forces said.
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forces → flee → Syria
The report could not be found on Petra's website later in the day.
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report → find → day
No correction had been issued by Saturday evening.
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correction → issue → evening
Petra did not elaborate on the identity of the 14 people.
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Petra → elaborate → people
Jordan faces persistent security challenges along its border with Syria, including drug and weapons smuggling.
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Jordan → face → smuggling
Networks have employed increasingly sophisticated tactics to transport narcotics across the border.
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Networks → employ → border
The attempted infiltration came after Jordan launched airstrikes on southern Syria on Monday, saying it targeted hideouts of militant groups it linked to a deadly attack on a church in Jordan earlier this month.
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it → attempt → Jordan
It said more than 20 Islamic State militants were killed in the strikes.
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militants → say → strikes
Nine people were killed and at least 34 wounded when gunmen opened fire during a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in the village of Hamoud, in Jordan's southern Karak governorate, on October 23.
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gunmen → kill → October
King Abdullah ordered an "iron fisted" response by security forces to the highly unusual attack on Jordan's Christian minority, which he and other top officials blamed on "extremist terrorists".
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he → order → terrorists
Islamic State, which was defeated by a US-led coalition, has been trying to make a comeback in neighboring Iraq and Syria, where it once controlled large areas.
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it → defeat → areas
Jordan, a US partner in the fight against Islamist militant groups, is regarded as a relatively stable state in the Middle East.
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Jordan → regard → East
Its security services have foiled plots by Islamist militants in the past, including suspected Islamic State supporters.
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services → foil → supporters
Jordan's strikes on southern Syria created tensions between Amman and Damascus, with Syria condemning them as a violation of its sovereignty and saying they had killed seven civilians, including three children and a woman.
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they → create → children
Jordan's foreign minister expressed regret over civilian casualties and reaffirmed Amman's respect for Syria's sovereignty.
The two countries agreed to establish a joint security committee to investigate the strikes and their aftermath and strengthen intelligence sharing and coordination on the ground.
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countries → express → ground
Relations between Jordan and Syria had improved following the ousting of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
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Relations → improve → December
They stepped up cooperation on border security, trade and efforts to combat drug trafficking and militant groups.
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They → step → trafficking
The recent airstrikes, however, have tested that rapprochement, although both sides have sought to ease strains through renewed security coordination.
"There is a lot of cooperation with Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon in order to guarantee the security and stability of the borders.
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sides → test → borders
Our region is facing lots of challenges, however, with cooperation we can overcome the challenges," Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said at the Manama Dialogue conference in Bahrain on Saturday.
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Shaibani → face → Saturday
The Aporia
