Jordan's National Security Council meets, vows to beef up security along Syrian border

By Laith Aljnaidi

AMMAN (AA) – Jordan's King Abdullah II on Saturday chaired a meeting of the National Security Council to discuss the latest developments in the region, with a particular focus on the current situation in Syria, vowing to take "necessary steps" to ensure the protection and security of the kingdom's northern borders with the neighboring war-torn country.

King Abdullah presided over the National Security Council meeting to discuss “the latest regional developments, especially the situation in Syria,” the Jordanian Royal Court said in a statement.

The meeting asked the Jordanian Armed Forces, also known as the Arab Army, to step up efforts "to safeguard national security and the Kingdom's borders, including the necessary steps taken to secure the northern border," the statement added.

The meeting also discussed “efforts by the relevant state institutions to ensure the security of Jordanians in Syria, as well as measures to enable the return of Jordanian citizens and trucks to Jordan after the Ministry of Interior’s decision to close the Jaber border crossing with Syria.”

The discussions focused on the latest developments in the Gaza war and ways to end it, as well as Jordan's efforts to bolster the flow of aid to the besieged Strip through all available channels, according to the statement.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala