Jordan launched air attacks in Syria targeting armed groups on Monday, killing at least seven people, including children and a woman. The military action followed a church shooting last week in Jordan’s Karak governorate that left nine dead and dozens wounded.
,The Jordanian armed forces stated that the operations focused on terrorist organisations in southeastern Syria linked to the church attackers. Officials said the strikes destroyed vehicles and caused casualties among the targeted groups, though the military did not name the factions or give the exact strike locations.
,Jordanian authorities maintained the air operations were conducted in coordination with the Syrian government. However, Syria rejected this claim.
,The Syrian defence ministry issued a statement on Telegram denying any joint coordination. Damascus reported that one Jordanian strike killed five members of a single family, comprising three children, a woman and a man. Two additional strikes reportedly killed men aged 60 and 80, with the bombardments hitting the southern Syrian provinces of Deraa and Suwayda.
,The Syrian government initiated an investigation into the attacks. Officials in Damascus emphasised the need for joint field and security coordination in border regions.
,The Syrian border authority responded to the raids by closing the Nassib border crossing. The closure suspended all passenger and commercial traffic in both directions at Jordan’s only border crossing with Syria.
,Earlier on Monday, Jordanian security forces engaged in a shootout with three suspects in the village of Al-Jadeeda. Two brothers and their brother-in-law, accused of involvement in the October 23 church attack, were arrested after a three-hour confrontation.
,A Jordanian government source stated that the three suspects sustained serious injuries during the exchange of gunfire. The raids and arrests followed a vow from King Abdullah II for a stern response to the violence.
,The October 23 attack involved three men opening fire on a Greek Orthodox church during a funeral roughly 90 kilometres south of Amman. Karak hosts part of Jordan’s minority Christian population, which totals about 300,000 citizens within a broader population of 11.5 million.
,King Abdullah stated that perpetrators would face the harshest penalties. He also ordered a comprehensive review of national security procedures following the tragedy.
