Jordanian Jets Bomb Syrian Village After Arrests in Karak Church Shooting

Five people, including women, children, and an elderly man, died in a Jordanian airstrike on a village in Syria’s southern Daraa province on Monday. Syrian health officials told state media that the attack targeted a location housing what Jordan’s military described as terrorist organizations. The strike occurred in retaliation for a shooting at a Greek Orthodox church in Karak last Friday, which killed nine people and injured 34 others.

Jordanian fighter jets delivered the blow, with the military stating that several terrorists were killed and wounded. The country said it coordinated the operation with the Syrian government. However, Damascus disputed this account, stating it had not been notified of the attack before it happened. This contradiction between the two governments has added tension to the immediate aftermath of the violence.

In response to the cross-border strike, Syrian authorities closed the Nassib border crossing. A statement released by state media explained that the decision included a complete suspension of passenger and commercial traffic in both directions to ensure safety. Nassib is the only passenger and commercial border crossing between the two nations. Syrian officials added that they had opened direct communication channels with Jordanian counterparts and launched comprehensive investigations to determine the full circumstances of the targeting.

Earlier on Monday, Jordanian security officials announced the arrest of three suspects connected to the church attack. The Public Security Directorate said two brothers and their brother-in-law were found hiding in an abandoned house in Karak before dawn. Jordan’s Interior Minister, Mazen al-Faraya, told state-affiliated television that the attackers were all Jordanians. He noted that they had been holed up in a building in a village near the site of the attack.

The sequence of events moved quickly from the arrests in Karak to the retaliatory strike in Daraa. Syrian officials emphasized their commitment to investigating the incident thoroughly. Meanwhile, the closure of the border crossing disrupted daily movement for travelers and workers who rely on the crossing for trade and transit between the two countries.