Jordan is worried and fearful as Syrian army forces and pro-Iranian militias are beefing up their presence in the Daraa Province, which borders the Hashemite kingdom.
The Jordanians are concerned that military scuffles in the southeastern Syrian province could spill over the border into Jordan, causing unrest. Another point of concern for the Jordanians is the growing number of refugees from southeastern Syria who are amassing near the Jordan-Syria border, which could also pose a burden to Jordan's already struggling economy.
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For decades, the Jordan-Syria border has been the site of clashes between those two countries. In the 1970s and 1980s the Syrians even threatened to send an armored division across the border to invade the kingdom.
Recently, the Syrian military forces loyal to President Bashar Assad have deployed heavy contingents of troops to confront protests against Iran's presence in Daraa, but the protesters remain undeterred. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the protests have spread throughout the province, with demonstrators calling, "Liberate Syria, Iran out!"
Based on the extent of the regime forces now present in the province, there is growing worry that the next few hours, or at most, days, could see Assad forces killing protesters. This would not be the first such case since the outbreak of the Syrian war.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights report, last Wednesday a large protest was organized in the town of Tafas, located some 30 kilometers (18.5 miles) from the Israeli border. Given the forces being sent into that district, one possible scenario is that Syrian army could start firing artillery into Israel.
