Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Jordan is in the process of erecting a barrier along its northern and eastern borders in a bid to prevent the infiltration of fighters from Iraq and Syria, a top Jordanian general told the Jordanian daily Al-Ra'i.

Border guard commander Saber al-Mahayra said the barriers and deep trenches being dug were especially aimed at stopping Islamic State jihadists from entering Jordanian territory.

The move is part of Amman's defensive approach to the radical Islamist group, which has seized vast swathes of territory across Iraq and Syria. In January, IS captured a downed Jordanian fighter pilot and burned him to death.

Jordan's King Abdullah II has since vowed to ramp up the fight against the group, which also published a video of the killing.

"The blood of martyr Maaz al-Kassasbeh will not be in vain and the response of Jordan and its army after what happened to our dear son will be severe," the king said in a statement released by the royal court at the time.

Saudi Arabia rejects Russian calls to work with Assad against IS
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister on Tuesday poured cold water on Russian calls to join forces with the Syrian authorities against Islamic State jihadists, insisting it would never work with President Bashar al-Assad.

Moscow one of Assad's few remaining allies has called for coordination between the Syrian government and members of an international coalition fighting the extremist group, which controls swathes of territory in Syria and Iraq.

But Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir insisted there would be no cooperation with the Syrian regime after meeting Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow.

"As for a coalition in which Saudi Arabia would participate with the government of Syria, then we need to exclude that. It is not part of our plans," Jubeir said in comments translated into Russian.

"Our position has not changed... there is no place for Assad in the future of Syria," Jubeir said. "We think that Bashar al-Assad is part of the problem, not part of the solution."

Saudi Arabia is part of a US-led coalition that began an air campaign against IS in Syria last September.

Russia supports Assad while Saudi Arabia insists he must step down to help end a four-year conflict that has cost over 240,000 lives.

*Agencies