Ba'athist Syria conducted a short-lived incursion toward Irbid in northern Jordan, before being forced to withdraw due to heavy casualties.

[4] On 17 September 1970, the Jordanian army surrounded several cities with a significant PLO presence and began targeting Palestinian fedayeen, viewing them as a threat to the Hashemite monarchy of King Hussein.

The Syrian Ba'ath Party adopted strongman Salah Jadid's policy of pushing for military intervention against Jordan on 17 September 1970.

[5] The United States, seeing the Syrian incursion through the lens of Cold War politics, prepared to intervene on behalf of Jordan and block Soviet support for Syria.

Israel estimated that Syria had lost 120 tanks, including 60 to 90 destroyed by Jordanian forces, and the rest due to mechanical breakdowns.