UN urges protection of civilians after Jordanian airstrikes in southern Syria

The UN on Tuesday called for the protection of civilians and respect for Syria’s sovereignty following Jordanian airstrikes in southern Syria, Anadolu reports.

Spokeswoman Daniela Gross De Almeida told reporters that the UN is “closely” monitoring developments and had taken note of statements issued by both Jordanian and Syrian authorities on the operation and its circumstances.

“The Secretary-General (Antonio Guterres) condemns any loss of civilian lives, and we underscore the obligation of all parties to take all precautions to protect civilians in line with international law,” said De Almeida.

She added that the UN supports efforts by the parties to establish the facts surrounding the incident, while emphasizing the importance of respecting the sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity of all member states in line with the UN Charter.

Jordan said Tuesday that its airstrikes in southern Syria had killed more than 20 ISIS (Daesh) terrorists and destroyed a major weapons depot, while Damascus condemned the operation as a violation of its sovereignty and reported several casualties.

Jordanian government spokesman Mohammad al-Momani said the strikes came after Amman “ran out of patience” with the movements of terrorist groups and threats to its national security.

Syria’s Foreign Ministry strongly condemned Jordan’s airstrikes targeting several locations in the southern Daraa province, saying they were carried out without prior coordination with Damascus.