Raging Syria violence spills into Jordan

Jordanian Information Minister Sameeh Maaytah said the soldier was the first member of the country’s military to be killed in violence related to Syria’s civil war. He died in clashes with militants trying to illegally enter Syria to join rebels fighting President Bashar Al Assad’s regime. Maaytah did not say whether the militants were Jordanians or foreign fighters trying to jump into the fray in the neighbouring country.

A statement by the Jordanian military said the soldier was killed in a shootout with a group of eight suspected militants armed with pistols and machineguns. Jordanian troops detained the suspected gunmen and authorities are questioning them, the statement said.

In Lebanon, troops launched a major security operation to open all roads and force gunmen off the streets, trying to contain an outburst of violence set off by the assassination of a top intelligence official who was a powerful opponent of Syria.

Meanwhile, ceasefire efforts by UN and Arab League envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi appeared to be faltering. Syria’s state-run news agency Sana said Damascus supports the truce proposal, but would not commit to halting fire during a four-day Eid holiday until Western countries and their Gulf allies stop supporting rebels and halt their weapons supplies to the anti-regime fighters.

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton urged the international community to support Brahimi and his ceasefire proposal. Ashton toured the Zaatari refugee camp on Monday, the first day of her five-day visit to the Middle East. Jordan hosts around 210,000 Syrian refugees, according to the UN refugee agency. The Zaatari camp is home to some 35,000 Syrians.