Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said on Saturday that border security with Jordan is a shared responsibility and a high-level meeting is expected next month to discuss arrangements. Speaking at a security forum in Bahrain, he said there are no “skirmishes” between the countries. The comments came after Jordanian strikes in Syria raised tensions between the neighbors. Jordanian border guards stopped a group of 14 armed individuals attempting to cross into northern Jordan from Syria, the armed forces said in a statement on Saturday. The group tried to infiltrate on Friday under heavy fire and direct engagement, causing numerous casualties among the armed group, while the remaining members fled back into Syria, the armed forces said. Jordan said that the strikes last week killed 20 militants with the ISIS extremist group, but acknowledged that civilians also had been killed. Syrian authorities reported seven people killed, most of them women and children.
