DAMASCUS (Dispatches) – Syria’s defense minister visited Jordan to discuss stability on their mutual border, the first such meeting since the foreign-backed war erupted in Syria about 10 years ago.
Sunday’s meeting followed a major army operation to retake the last terrorist bastion in southern Syria, and after re-establishing control this month over Dara’a, a main city south of Damascus, in a Russian-brokered deal.
Jordanian army head Lieutenant-General Yousef Hunaiti met Syrian Defence Minister and Chief of Staff Ali Ayyoub over the Dara’a situation and to discuss issues such as the fight against terrorism and drug smuggling in the area, Jordan’s army said.
“The talks are within the concern to intensify future coordination over all common issues,” a military statement said.
Syrian TV said the visit came at the invitation of Jordan’s army commander, adding Ayyoub was accompanied by top army officers. It said the talks focused on “fighting terrorism and border control”.
Jordan had for years supported foreign-sponsored terrorist groups, which controlled southern Syria, until Syrian government troops and allied forces recaptured Dara’a from terrorists more than three years ago.
Last week, Syrian army units entered Dara’a al-Balad neighborhood and raised Syria’s national flags.
Under the truce deal, reached on August 14, militants were obliged to hand over their weapons, and government forces were due to install checkpoints in nine districts of Dara’a al-Balad.
All militants who refused to lay down their weapons were to depart for the north of Syria or Jordan by buses provided by government authorities.
Back in 2018, Syrian army troops managed to establish control over Dara’a Province, which is bordered by Jordan to the south and the Zionist-occupied Golan Heights to the west.
The establishment of full government control over the Golan border - where the Zionist regime has treated wounded terrorists fighting against the Syrian government since 2011 - is highly important.