The October 2012 Jordanian–Syrian border clash was an attack by armed men, claimed to be Islamic militants, to infiltrate Jordan from Syria during the Syrian civil war.[1] According to sources, the clash resulted in one Jordanian soldier killed, the first Jordanian military personnel to be killed during the Syrian civil war.[1] The number of killed militants was between zero to four.
Samih Maayta, the Jordanian minister for media and communication, said that eight militants attacked a military position “with heavy arms” at 10:30 pm on October 22, 2012. The Associated Press reported that the militants, whose nationalities were not mentioned, were trying to enter Syria to join the rebel forces fighting against President Bashar al-Assad’s government.[1] Later, Jordanian Minister said in an interview that an additional five men suspected of ties to Al-Qaeda tried to penetrate the border and clashed with soldiers. One militant was severely injured, but there were no Jordanian casualties. All 13 involved in both episodes were arrested.[1]
According to DPA, the militant group consisted of 16 armed militants, and infiltrated Jordan from Syria, rather than the other way around. The number of militants killed was put at 4 and the rest retreated into Syrian territory.[2]