• More than 7,000 hectares of land in coastal parts of Syria burned over the weekend
• Jordanian helicopters with firefighting crews were dispatched to contain the blazes on Sunday

Arab News

LONDON: The Jordanian armed forces have expanded efforts to assist Syria in combating wildfires in Latakia’s Jabal Turkman mountainous region, deploying two Black Hawk helicopters to aid Damascus in handling the disaster on Sunday.

The wildfires spread over more than 7,000 hectares of land in coastal parts of the Syrian Arab Republic for the fourth day, sparked by a combination of unexploded ordnance from the country’s civil war as well as high temperatures and drought.

They have swiftly spread through forests and farmland, threatening homes and prompting an emergency response in Syria, and the help of Turkiye and Jordan.

Two Jordanian helicopters with firefighting crews and equipment were dispatched to aid Syria in containing the wildfire in Latakia’s countryside on Sunday. The decision demonstrates Jordan’s commitment to providing humanitarian support and responding to regional crises, the Petra news agency said.

The armed forces said that the deployment reflects Jordan’s commitment to solidarity and regional cooperation during environmental and humanitarian emergencies, Petra added.