Jordanian Strike Kills Five in Syrian Daraa Province After Church Shooting

Five people died in a Jordanian aerial strike on a village in Syria’s Daraa province on Monday. Syrian health officials reported that the victims included women, children, and an elderly man. The attack was a direct response to a shooting at a Christian funeral in Jordan that killed nine people last Friday.

Jordanian fighter jets targeted what the military identified as terrorist organizations. The military stated that the operation resulted in the death and injury of several terrorists, though it provided no specific numbers or names. Jordan said it had coordinated the strike with the Syrian government, a claim Damascus disputed. Syrian officials said they had not been notified of the attack before it occurred.

In reaction to the bombardment, Syria closed the Nassib border crossing, the only passenger and commercial point of entry between the two nations. Authorities suspended all traffic in both directions to ensure the safety of travelers and workers. A statement from Syrian officials said the country had opened direct communication channels with Jordanian counterparts and launched investigations to determine the full circumstances of the targeting.

The strike followed a deadly attack on Friday at a Greek Orthodox church in Karak. That incident left nine people dead and 34 others injured. Earlier on Monday, Jordanian security forces arrested three men linked to the church shooting. The suspects, described as two brothers and their brother-in-law, were found hiding in an abandoned house in Karak before dawn.

Mazen al-Faraya, Jordan’s Interior Minister, told state-affiliated television that all three attackers were Jordanians. He said the group had been hiding in a building in a village near the church. The Public Security Directorate confirmed the arrests, identifying the men as the terrorists responsible for the funeral attack.