Ammon News - Jordan and the international community are following the developments of a military escalation in Daraa with concern. Amman reportedly fears a new wave of displacement towards crisis-ridden Jordan, which has been hosting Syrian refugees since the war began in 2011, thearabweekly reported.

Over the past few days, Daraa has turned into a new battleground that pits the regime against the opposition, after a relative calm that lasted for months.

On Saturday, Jordan temporarily closed the Jaber border crossing with Syria for the movement of goods and passengers “as a result of developments in the security situation on the Syrian side”, state news agency Petra said, citing an interior ministry official.

The official added that the crossing will be reopened “if the appropriate conditions are in place”.

The Nasib crossing is now the only functioning crossing between Jordan and Syria and is considered a vital economic artery for Jordanian, Syrian and Lebanese traders and merchants.

The two countries are linked by two main border crossings, which are the old customs, which faces the Ramtha crossing on the Jordanian side,and Nasib, which faces the Jaber crossing.

On Saturday, the UN special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen called for upholding the principle of the protection of civilians and international humanitarian law, a UN spokesman has said, according to thearabweekly.

The spokesman said in a statement on behalf of the envoy, that Pedersen “is following with great concern the developments in the southwest of Syria.”

“He is actively in contact with relevant parties to ensure that violence ceases and is calling on all to deescalate. He underlined to all that the principle of the protection of civilians and international humanitarian law must be upheld,” said the spokesman.

“The special envoy emphasises the humanitarian dimension of the situation, recalling the messages he received from people in Daraa stating they did not want to leave their homes,” he added.

“The special envoy notes that this uptick in tension in the southwest illustrates the need for all in Syria to agree on a nationwide ceasefire, in line with Security Council Resolution 2254 (2015),” the spokesman added.

Clashes between Syrian government forces and opposition fighters in the country’s southern province of Daraa recently escalated, with reports saying three civilians were killed there on Thursday, as well as eight government troops and five rebel fighters.

The violence is one of the most serious challenges to a 2018 tenuous deal between the two sides, negotiated by Russia.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the war through activists on the ground, said the escalation began with raids by Syrian government troops on opposition-held areas. Opposition fighters fought back and routed government forces from some military posts.

On Tuesday, government troops and their allies launched raids and shelled areas controlled by opposition forces in Daraa al-Balad, a southern district of the provincial capital of Daraa, reportedly in search of wanted men.

The province became known as the cradle of the uprising against Syrian President Bashar Assad that erupted in 2011 as part of the Arab Spring revolts. It was recaptured by Syrian government troops in 2018. Assad has since regained control of most of the country with the help of Russia and Iran.

The Russian-mediated deal allowed some of the province’s armed opposition to remain in their former strongholds, in charge of security. Government troops retained control of the province, but security duties were divided. Tension regularly erupted and government troops tried several times to take over areas under opposition control.

The Observatory said Russian mediation has failed to contain the latest escalation in Daraa. On Wednesday, government forces shelled the only medical clinic in the area, according to the Observatory.

Syrian state news agency SANA said two civilians were killed on Thursday, including a child. The Observatory meanwhile said eight government troops and five opposition fighters were killed.

The Observatory also reported that opposition fighters pushed government forces back and took over some military posts. It said 40 fighters allied with the government were abducted. It was not immediately possible to independently confirm the report.

*thearabweekly