Jordanian Jets Strike Syria After Karak Church Killings

Tensions between Jordan and Syria escalated sharply on Monday after Jordanian fighter jets struck a village in the southern Daraa province. The attack followed a deadly shooting at a Christian funeral in Karak last Friday that claimed nine lives. Jordanian officials described the strike as a retaliatory measure against terrorist organizations they believed were responsible for the church attack.

Syrian health officials reported that five people died in the airstrike. Among the dead were women, children, and an elderly man. The Jordanian military stated that its jets killed and wounded several terrorists, though it did not release specific details about the targets or the damage caused to civilian infrastructure.

The two governments presented conflicting accounts of their coordination prior to the strike. Jordan said it had coordinated the operation with the Syrian government. Syria, however, maintained that it had not been notified of the attack before it began. This discrepancy added to the friction between the two nations as they managed the aftermath of the violence.

In response to the airstrike, Syrian authorities announced the closure of the Nassib border crossing. This is the only point for passenger and commercial traffic between Jordan and Syria. A statement from Syrian officials said the suspension was total, covering both directions, to protect travelers and workers. They also said they had opened direct communication channels with Jordanian officials and launched comprehensive investigations to determine the full circumstances of the targeting.

Earlier on Monday, Jordanian security forces arrested three men suspected in the Karak church shooting. The Public Security Directorate identified the suspects as two brothers and their brother-in-law, all Jordanian nationals. Officials said the men had been hiding in an abandoned house in Karak and were found before dawn. Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya told state-affiliated television that the attackers had been holed up in a building in a village near the site of the funeral.