Jordan strikes Syria after arrests in Karak church shooting
Syria closed the Nassib border crossing and disputed the timing of coordination following a Jordanian air raid that killed five.
By Jason Kovalenko ·
Jordanian fighter jets struck a village in Syria’s southern Daraa province on Monday. The military targeted groups it labeled as terrorist organizations in retaliation for a fatal attack on a Christian funeral last week.
Syrian health officials reported that five people died in the strike. The casualties included women, children, and an elderly man. Jordan’s military stated that it killed and wounded several terrorists but provided no specific numbers or details about the targets.
Disagreement emerged over the coordination of the strike. Jordan said it had coordinated with the Syrian government beforehand. Conversely, Syria announced it had not received notification of the attack before it happened. In response, Syrian authorities closed the Nassib border crossing, the only passenger and commercial link between the two nations.
The suspension halts all traffic in both directions to protect travelers and workers. Syrian officials said they opened direct communication channels with Jordan and began a full investigation into the targeting. They described the measure as necessary to ensure safety at the crossing.
The air raid followed a shooting at a Greek Orthodox church in Karak on Friday. That attack killed nine people and injured 34. Earlier on Monday, Jordanian security forces arrested three men linked to the incident. The Public Security Directorate said the suspects, two brothers and their brother-in-law, were hiding in an abandoned house in Karak.
Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya told state-affiliated television that all attackers were Jordanian. He noted that the men had been holed up in a building in a village near the church where the shooting occurred.
Syria’s decision to close the border represents a sharp escalation in cross-border tensions. The Nassib crossing handles all commercial and passenger traffic between the two countries. The closure remains in effect while both sides investigate the circumstances surrounding the strike and the initial funeral attack.
