Jordan: Militants attack Ruqban crossing point June 3

Event

Military officials report that unidentified gunmen on motorcycles attacked a border crossing point in Ruqban on Saturday, June 3. The militants assaulted the border guards from Syria. Officials confirmed that one guard was wounded in the attack and that a number of militants were killed.

Context

Cross-border activities from Syrian into Jordan are not common. The last security incident in this area was a car bomb attack that killed four people near the Ruqban refugee camp in January 2017. The Jordanian authorities have expressed concerns about the growing instability in the kingdom's border areas, especially those near Iraq and Syria. Jordan closed the border near the Ruqban camp in June 2016, halting aid deliveries, after a terrorist attack claimed by Islamic State (IS) killed seven Jordanian soldiers.

Advice

Individuals in Jordan are strongly advised to adhere to security instructions issued by local authorities. Some Foreign governments have advised their nationals against all travel near the Syrian and Iraqi borders. Due to extremely poor security conditions, Western governments generally advise against all travel to Syria, with some countries banning all travel to the country.