Jordanians kidnapped in Syria return safely to Kingdom

AMMAN — Two Jordanians who were reportedly kidnapped in Syria earlier this week returned safely to the Kingdom on Thursday evening, following their release earlier in the day, the Foreign Ministry said.

The Jordanian Embassy in Damascus was notified on Thursday morning that the two kidnapped Jordanians were located by the Syrian authorities, and their return was arranged through the Jordan-Syria border crossing, according to a ministry statement.

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Sufian Qudah said on Tuesday that the ministry contacted one of the reported victims’ fathers, who revealed that one of the kidnappers informed him over the phone that the incident had occurred in light of a financial dispute with a third Jordanian citizen residing in Ramtha. 

The Foreign Ministry had been following up with investigations, in cooperation with the Kingdom’s Embassy in Damascus, since receiving reports of the incident, according to the statement.

Qudah thanked the Syrian foreign ministry in Syria for its cooperation and its role in securing the release and safe return of the two Jordanians. 

In a phone call with the released Jordanians’ families, he also expressed his relief for their safe return.