ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - At least nine civilians, including two children, were killed in suspected Jordanian airstrikes in southern Syria, local media and a monitor reported on Thursday.
Jordan has increased its pursuit of drug traffickers in Syria and has tightened its own border with the country in an attempt to prevent the smuggling of narcotics from its war-torn neighbor.
UK-based war monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that numerous strikes were conducted overnight, attributing them to Jordan which was carried a number of air raids on locations of drug traffickers in Syria.
"Jordanian warplanes carried out air strikes targeting residential areas and a warehouse in southeastern province of Suwayda, killing at least nine people, including two girls and four women," the monitor said, describing the incident as a “massacre.”
There has not been any official comment from Jordan.
Jordan has become a transit point of drugs, particularly captagon, being smuggled out of Syria which has turned into a Middle Eastern hub for narcotics. The Jordanian military has previously downed drones carrying narcotics, as well as weapons.
Numerous meetings have taken place between Jordanian and Syrian officials in an attempt to curb the illicit drug trade, but Amman remains dissatisfied with the outcome of these talks. The highest-level meeting took place in July between Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
According to the monitor, earlier this month five smugglers were killed while 15 were captured by Jordanian forces following clashes along the border.
Local media outlet, Suwayda 24, reported that ten people were killed in the town of Urman in strikes that were “likely to have been carried out by the Jordanian air force.”
The kingdom was also reportedly behind airstrikes in Syria on December 18 that killed five civilians.
Jordan has increased its pursuit of drug traffickers in Syria and has tightened its own border with the country in an attempt to prevent the smuggling of narcotics from its war-torn neighbor.
UK-based war monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that numerous strikes were conducted overnight, attributing them to Jordan which was carried a number of air raids on locations of drug traffickers in Syria.
"Jordanian warplanes carried out air strikes targeting residential areas and a warehouse in southeastern province of Suwayda, killing at least nine people, including two girls and four women," the monitor said, describing the incident as a “massacre.”
There has not been any official comment from Jordan.
Jordan has become a transit point of drugs, particularly captagon, being smuggled out of Syria which has turned into a Middle Eastern hub for narcotics. The Jordanian military has previously downed drones carrying narcotics, as well as weapons.
Numerous meetings have taken place between Jordanian and Syrian officials in an attempt to curb the illicit drug trade, but Amman remains dissatisfied with the outcome of these talks. The highest-level meeting took place in July between Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
According to the monitor, earlier this month five smugglers were killed while 15 were captured by Jordanian forces following clashes along the border.
Local media outlet, Suwayda 24, reported that ten people were killed in the town of Urman in strikes that were “likely to have been carried out by the Jordanian air force.”
The kingdom was also reportedly behind airstrikes in Syria on December 18 that killed five civilians.
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