Amman, Dec 7 (NationPress) Jordan's Interior Minister Mazen Farrayah has declared the closure of the Jaber border crossing with Syria owing to the security situation in southern Syria.

As per the announcement, Jordanian citizens and trucks are permitted to return to the kingdom; however, outbound traffic to Syrian territories will be prohibited, as stated by the Ministry on Friday.

The Ministry indicated that Jordan is actively monitoring events in Syria while the armed forces continue to secure the borders, according to the statement.

The Jaber crossing, situated on the Damascus-Amman international highway and known as the Nassib crossing in Syria, was the only functioning passenger and commercial border crossing between the two nations, as reported by Xinhua news agency.

On Friday, violent clashes erupted near the Nassib crossing in Syria, where armed groups reportedly infiltrated the area and launched attacks on Syrian army positions, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Since the beginning of the Syrian civil war in 2011, this crossing has faced multiple closures, initially in April 2015, when it remained shut for three years. It was reopened in October 2018.

Jordan and Syria have two primary border crossings. The Al-Gomruk Al-Qadim crossing, referred to as Ramtha on the Jordanian side, has been inactive for years due to the Syrian conflict. In contrast, the Nassib crossing corresponds to Jordan's Jaber crossing, which has intermittently operated amid ongoing turmoil.

In Syria, engagements between opposition forces and regime troops have escalated since November 27. By November 29, opposition forces managed to capture Aleppo and subsequently took control of Idlib province the following day.

After securing Aleppo and Idlib, opposition fighters captured Hama on Thursday following intense confrontations with regime forces.

On Friday, opposition militants began advancing into neighborhoods in Homs, starting from the western al-Waer district, with the objective of pushing toward the city's center.

In early December, the Syrian National Army initiated 'Operation Dawn of Freedom' to disrupt efforts aimed at forming a terrorist corridor between Tel Rifaat in Aleppo province and northeastern Syria. The operation successfully liberated Tel Rifaat from PKK/YPG terrorists.