Syrian rebels fire an anti-aircraft gun in the northwestern city of Idlib, on March 26, 2015. Photo: AFP

(VOVworld) – Jordan has temporarily closed its main border crossing with Syria, according to Jordan’s Petra news agency. Interior Minister Hussein Majali said that the move was a preventive measure to safeguard lives due to insecurity in the area of Nasib town, in Syria’s Daraa province which abuts the Jordanian border. Earlier, heavy fighting erupted between rebels and pro-government forces for control of Nasib. The Syrian Foreign Ministry said it holds Jordan responsible for the social and economic impact of the closure.

This is the first time Jordan has officially closed its border with Syria since the start of the Syrian crisis in 2011. Jordanian legislators have called for shutting the border gate to slow the flood of Syrian refugees into Jordan which already has taken in 1.5 million Syrian refugees.