Syrian, Jordanian military chiefs discuss defense cooperation to counter border security threats

“The call addressed a number of issues of mutual interest and ways to advance cooperation and coordination between Syria and Jordan in the defense field.”

Syrian and Jordanian military chiefs discussed defense cooperation, Syrian state media reported on September 30. The discussion matters because Syria is seeking to work with Jordan to stabilize areas near the Jordanian border.

This includes the defeat of an ISIS cell south of Damascus last week and the new bust of an ISIS cell in the Yarmouk basin area near the Golan and near Jordan.

SANA says that Syrian Defense Minister Maj.-Gen. Murhaf Abu Qasra held a phone call with Chairman of the Jordanian Joint Chiefs of Staff Maj.-Gen. Majdi al-Harasis.

“The call addressed a number of issues of mutual interest and ways to advance cooperation and coordination between Syria and Jordan in the defense field.” Syria and Jordan have been close partners under the new Syrian government.

Jordan had backed Syrian rebels since 2012. It opposed the Assad regime. However, when the regime defeated rebels in southern Syria, Jordan had to accept this outcome.

Syrian White Helmets evacuated into Jordan during civil war

At the time, Israel helped evacuate Syrian White Helmets from southern Syria and enabled them to go to Jordan. The Yarmouk basin at the time of the Syrian civil war had an ISIS affiliate called the Khalid Bin Al-Walid Army.

It was not really an army, but a small group that controlled a few villages near the Golan in the Yarmouk basin. The Yarmouk River forms the basin as it flows toward the Jordan Valley.

The Yarmouk River drains a watershed in Jordan and southern Syria. It then cascades down between cliffs and bluffs toward the springs at Hamma, or Hamat Gader, on the border.

It is in the basin, a triangle of hills between the Golan and Syria, that the ISIS affiliate once ranged. It conquered territory in 2017 from Syrian rebel groups.

Then it was defeated by the Syrian regime. Cells remained.

Syria, Israel need to cooperate against mutual threats

Now, reports in Turkish media note that “Syrian authorities said Tuesday they had arrested three suspects linked to Lebanese group Hezbollah in the Yarmouk Basin area of western Daraa, accusing the cell of attempting to deploy rocket launchers to destabilize security in the strategic border region near Israel.”

This is important because Syria and Israel need to cooperate to stop any threats growing in areas near the border. Syrians have complained of Israeli abuses over the last year. Israel has demanded Syria demilitarize this area. This means that in the power vacuum, enemies may appear. Jordan and Syria don’t want any threats from this area.

Turkish media Yeni Safak noted, “Syrian authorities dismantled a three-member cell linked to Lebanese group Hezbollah in the southern Daraa province, the Interior Ministry said Tuesday, following surveillance of alleged attempts to deploy rocket launchers in the volatile border region. The General Intelligence Directorate carried out the arrests in coordination with internal security forces in the Yarmouk Basin area of western Daraa, according to an official statement.”

The officials in Syria said that the “suspects were attempting to install the weapons to carry out attacks aimed at undermining stability in the area. Security personnel fully dismantled the rocket launchers discovered during the raid, though officials did not specify the number of launchers seized or identify the intended targets of the alleged plot.”

Jordan is also working with Syria to prevent drug smuggling. This has been an issue since the Assad regime era.

Amman has long been concerned that smuggling routes exist from the area of Suwayda and exploit divisions between the Druze and the Syrian government to move drugs from the area.

As such, the power vacuum in and around Suwayda is viewed as a potential threat by Jordan. Both that area and the area near the Golan are seen as challenges.

This is part of the context of the Syria-Jordan talks. They may also be talking about threats from militias in Iraq and any threats to Tanf, where gas and oil supplies are moving from Iraq to Syria and vice versa.

Syria is concerned about any sabotage or threats to this trade route.

As US forces leave Iraq, it is now clear that Jordan could find itself on the frontline against Iranian-backed militias. Syria opposes the militias as well. Jordan hosts US forces and will want to make sure that they likely remain. However, Iran has targeted Jordan with missile attacks.