Jordanian, Syrian Soldiers Clash

Jordanian and Syrian forces traded gunfire along the shared border early Friday morning in what marked the latest escalation of tensions between Amman and Damascus, dpa reported.

According to a Jordanian security source, “brief” clashes broke out between the two armies in the Tal Al Sihab region after Syrian forces opened fire on a group of some 300 refugees attempting to flee into Jordan, mistakenly targeting Jordanian forces in the process.

Jordanian military forces returned gunfire, said the source, igniting a fierce 10-minute-long battle between the two sides.

Saudi Arabian news network Al Arabiya reported that two Jordanian soldiers were injured during the confrontation, a claim both the source and Jordanian officials denied.

Jordanian government spokesman Smaih Maaytah denied that any clashes broke out between the two sides, stressing that Syrian regime forces opened fire on refugees close to the Jordanian border, injuring several, including one child who died upon arrival at a hospital in the Jordanian border city of Ramtha.

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