The Jordanian army on Thursday (August 2nd) said it has killed a number of "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) elements who tried to approach its northern border with Syria, AFP reported.
The incident on Tuesday came as clashes raged between Syrian regime forces and "a gang of ISIS terrorists" in the Yarmouk basin region of southwestern Syria, an army statement said.
ISIS elements "tried to approach our border" but Jordanian troops prevented them by pounding them "with all types of weapons" and "killing a number of them", it added, without specifying how many.
The operation to secure the area continued into Wednesday, the statement said.
The Jordanian army said that on the Syrian side of the border, regime forces cornered the extremists in a pocket of southern Syria around the Yarmouk basin and neighbouring villages.
Meanwhile, Jordanian officials said Wednesday that Jordan has not yet decided to reopen the Jaber border crossing with Syria.
An official source told The Jordan Times that no decision has been taken in that regard and when it is made, "it must be in line with the national interest of the kingdom".
In 2015, Jordan closed the Jaber border crossing with Syria for security reasons, while Ramtha, the other border crossing with the war-torn country, has been closed for more than five years.
Meeting with industrialists during the week, Prime Minister Omar Razzaz noted that after restoring security in Syria and Iraq, the border crossings with the two neighbours would be reopened and the three countries will work on enhancing economic co-operation.
