AMMAN, Jordan — Jordanian border guards arrested five people on Wednesday after thwarting an attempt to cross illegally into the Kingdom through the northern border, the Jordanian Armed Forces said.

The five were detected while attempting to cross through an area under the responsibility of the Northern Military Zone, according to the army. They were arrested and referred to the relevant authorities for legal proceedings.

The Armed Forces said its border units would continue monitoring the Kingdom’s frontiers and dealing firmly with attempts to infiltrate or smuggle goods across the border.

Jordan shares a 375-kilometre border with Syria, where authorities have faced repeated attempts to smuggle weapons and narcotics, including Captagon, in recent years.

In January 2025, Jordan and Syria agreed to establish a joint security committee focused on securing their border and combating arms and drug smuggling. The agreement followed discussions between Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and Syria’s then newly appointed Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani.

Jordanian authorities have continued reporting attempts to cross the northern frontier illegally. In May 2025, the Jordanian Armed Forces said border guards had intercepted a group attempting to cross from Syrian territory and seized narcotics after forcing the group to retreat into Syria.

The army did not provide further details on the identities or nationalities of the five people arrested in Wednesday’s incident, nor did it say whether the latest attempt was connected to smuggling.