Travellers to Jordan regain Nassib crossing Wednesday as passenger traffic resumes

Syria is reopening its border crossing with Jordan on Wednesday morning, restoring regular passenger and commercial traffic after a brief closure triggered by Jordanian air strikes in southern Syria. The two countries have also agreed to a joint inquiry into the strikes, which killed at least seven people.

Key facts

• Nassib, Jordan's only border crossing with Syria, reopens on Wednesday morning
• Regular passenger and commercial traffic will resume, SANA reported
• The crossing was briefly closed after Jordanian strikes on Monday
• Jordan and Syria will form a joint security committee to examine the strikes
• At least seven people were killed in Deraa and Suwayda

What is reopening?

The Nassib crossing, Jordan's only border crossing with Syria, will reopen on Wednesday morning, according to the state news agency SANA. Regular passenger and commercial traffic is to resume.

The crossing was briefly closed after Jordan carried out air strikes on suspected ISIL (ISIS) sites in southern Syria on Monday. The Jordanian military said the strikes targeted ISIL "hideouts" and were a response to a shooting by gunmen at a Greek Orthodox church in Jordan's Karak on Friday, for which ISIL claimed responsibility.

What happened in the air strikes?

Jordan's strikes killed at least seven people in Deraa and Suwayda, including five members of the same family, three of whom were children. Syria's Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management said its teams responded to attacks at four sites.

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said the attacks were based on field intelligence and aimed at "neutralising confirmed threats and imminent terrorist operations targeting Jordan's security". He expressed deep regret over the civilian deaths in a call with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and stressed Jordan's respect for Syria's sovereignty and stability.

Jordan had claimed the strikes were coordinated with the Syrian government, which Damascus denied.

What are the two countries agreeing to?

The foreign ministers agreed to form a security committee to examine the aftermath of the strikes, they said in a statement following a phone call. In addition to investigating the attacks, the committee will develop field and intelligence coordination in dealing with terrorist threats to ensure the protection of innocent civilians.

What this means for travellers

Passenger and commercial traffic through Nassib, Jordan's only border crossing with Syria, is set to resume on Wednesday morning. Travellers planning to use the crossing should confirm the current status before setting out, given the recent brief closure.

The church shooting in Karak claimed at least nine lives and wounded 34 others. Jordanian security forces arrested two brothers and their brother-in-law on suspicion of carrying out the attack.