Jordanian–Syrian border incidents during the Syrian Civil War

Jordanian border patrol outpost

Jordanian–Syrian border incidents during the Syrian Civil War refers to violent incidents on the Jordanian-Syrian border on the course of the Syrian Civil War. The Raytheon defence company has provided the Jordanian Armed Forces with a high-tech security system (not a wall) stretching across the wide borders between the two countries.[1] The security system has enabled the Jordanian border patrol units to discover and deal with several border infiltrations.[2] The system detects the movement of militias before reaching Jordanian territory and the army issues warnings to the infiltrators and when the warnings go ignored, they are exterminated, according to established rules of engagement.[2] Jordan says that drug smuggling attempts have increased by 3-fold since the start of the Syrian civil war.[3]

Timeline

October 2012 incident

Jordanian–Syrian border incidents during the Syrian Civil War
Part of Spillover of the Syrian Civil War
DateOctober 22, 2012
LocationJordanian-Syrian border
Result

Jordanian victory

  • All militants arrested or repelled
Belligerents
Jordan Jordanian Army Islamic militants
Strength
Jordanian border patrols units 13-16 militants
Casualties and losses
1 killed 1 wounded, all arrested (Jordanian official)
4 killed (unnamed Jordanian source)

The October 2012 Jordanian–Syrian border clash was an attack by armed men, claimed to be Islamic militants, to infiltrate Jordan from Syria during the Syrian civil war.[4] According to sources, the clash resulted in one Jordanian soldier killed, the first Jordanian military personnel to be killed during the Syrian civil war.[4] The number of killed militants was between zero to four.

Samih Maayta, the Jordanian minister for media and communication, said that eight militants attacked a military position “with heavy arms” at 10:30 pm on October 22, 2012. The Associated Press reported that the militants, whose nationalities were not mentioned, were trying to enter Syria to join the rebel forces fighting against President Bashar al-Assad’s government.[4] Later, Jordanian Minister said in an interview that an additional five men suspected of ties to Al-Qaeda tried to penetrate the border and clashed with soldiers. One militant was severely injured, but there were no Jordanian casualties. All 13 involved in both episodes were arrested.[4]

According to DPA, the militant group consisted of 16 armed militants, and infiltrated Jordan from Syria, rather than the other way around. The number of militants killed was put at 4 and the rest retreated into Syrian territory.[5]

2014 border airstrike

April 2014 Jordanian–Syrian border airstrike
Part of Syrian civil war

Jordan and Syria
Operational scope Tactic
Planned by Jordan
Objective Destroy a convoy, attempting to penetrate Jordan
Date 16 April 2014 (2014-04-16)
Executed by Royal Jordanian Air Force
Outcome Destruction of the convoy[6]
Casualties Unknown

April 2014 Jordanian–Syrian border airstrike refers to bombing by the Jordanian Air Force of a convoy on the Syrian-Jordanian border, taking place on 16 April 2014.[6] Reportedly, the airstrike took place when the convoy attempted to penetrate the Jordanian border from Syria.[6]

Though Syrian involvement was proposed, a Syrian military official said the vehicles did not belong to the Syrian army.[6] A Jordanian security source said the targets appeared to have been Syrian rebels with machine guns mounted on civilian vehicles who were seeking refuge from fighting with government forces in southern Syria.[7]

2016 incidents

On January 23rd, a total of 36 armed men tried to infiltrate the border and an engagement with Jordanian border patrol left 12 dead infiltrators while the rest retreated back into Syria. They were found to have 2 million drug pills. The spokesperson also stated that "Jordan will not tolerate any infiltration attempt and will strike with an iron fist to whoever tries to disrupt Jordanian national security". [8]

On January 25th, two armed men tried to infiltrate the borders and were exterminated. They were found to have 2600 palm-sized bags of weed and 2.4 million Captagon pills.[9]

On February 7th, two men exploited the foggy weather conditions and tried to infiltrate. They were exterminated, according to rules of engagement, according to the Jordan Armed Forces spokesperson. The spokesperson warned that anyone trying to infiltrate will face the same fate.[10]

On February 24th, two vehicles exploited the foggy weather and attempted to infiltrate, an engagement with the border patrols left 1 dead and 6 injured which were taken into custody.[11]

Statistics

A report by the Jordanian Armed Forces command revealed that during 2015, Border Guards patrols foiled 85 infiltration attempts involving 132 people. Infiltrating vehicles that did not meet engagement rules and were not exterminated, were found to have 1,473 pieces of various weapons, 6,659 bullets, 16,768,684 Captagon pills, 893,060 palm-sized sheets of marjiuana and 20,000 Tramadol pills. The drugs were later destroyed at an anti narcotics department in Amman.[12]

See also

External links

References

  1. ↑ "Jordan awards Raytheon $18.6 million to expand border security". spacewar.com.
  2. 1 2 "Border guards kill infiltrator on Syrian border". Jordan Times.
  3. ↑ "Border guards kill infiltrator on Syria border". Jordan Times.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Jordanian Soldier Killed in Syrian Border Clash". The New York Times. 23 October 2012.
  5. ↑ "Jordanian soldier killed in clash with militants on Syria border". Haaretz.com. 22 October 2012. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Jordanian jets strike vehicles on Syrian border". The Guardian. 16 April 2014.
  7. ↑ "Vehicles hit in Jordan air raid not Syria Army’s". Arab News. 17 April 2014.
  8. ↑ "Army kills 12 infiltrators on Syria border". Jordan Times.
  9. ↑ "خبرني : نبض الشارع : حرس الحدود يقتل مهربيْن". Khaberni. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  10. ↑ http://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/two-killed-drugs-seized-border-infiltration-attempt
  11. ↑ http://www.khaberni.com/more-161011-1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D9%8A%D8%B4%20%D9%8A%D9%82%D8%AA%D9%84%20%D9%85%D8%AA%D8%B3%D9%84%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%8B%20%D9%88%D9%8A%D8%B5%D9%8A%D8%A8%206
  12. ↑ "‘Border Guards facilitated entry of 17,000 Syrian refugees last year’". Jordan Times.
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