Amman - A Jordanian delegation is expected to make efforts to mend diplomatic fences with Syria during a visit Wednesday.

The delegation of ranking Jordanian officials departed Wednesday to relay a message from King Abdullah II to the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on "issues of mutual interest," a royal court statement said.

Jordan's king is interested in improving ties with Damascus after strained relations over the past few years, analysts say. Part of the strain comes from Jordan's efforts to stay in the good graces of the United States, which has often pressured the country to take pro- Western stances that have, at times, hurt relations with Syria.

Additionally, Syria reacted badly when Jordan, like Saudi Arabia, opted to only send a low-level delegation to an Arab summit hosted in Damascus earlier this year.

Wednesday's mission is led by the head of the royal court, Nasser Lawzi, and the chief of the General Intelligence Department, General Mohammad Dahabi.

The visit comes two days after a US military raid inside Syrian territory that killed at least 8 people.

On Tuesday, the Jordanian government expressed "concerns" over the US raid and said it considered the attack a "violation of the Syrian sovereignty".

"Jordan urges compliance with the rules of international law which underlines respect for the sovereignty of states on their territory as well as refraining from steps that could enhance regional tension," the government said in a statement. (dpa)