Jordanian Strikes Kill Seven in Syria, Which Says It Was Not Warned

Seven people, including three children, died in Jordanian strikes in southern Syria, and Syria says it was not warned about the attack. That denial directly challenges Jordan’s claim that the raids were coordinated with Damascus, turning a strike meant as retaliation into a dispute between neighbours. Syria says it has opened an investigation. ^5,7

Jordan said its air force struck sites in Daraa and Sweida on Monday, targeting armed groups it linked to Friday’s shooting at a Greek Orthodox funeral in Karak. Syrian civil defence workers reported seven deaths: five members of one family killed in a tent, an 80-year-old man and a 60-year-old man. Jordan said its strikes killed and wounded group members and destroyed vehicles. Earlier Monday, Jordanian forces arrested three men suspected of carrying out the shooting. ^5,8

The three men, all Jordanians, were wounded in a dawn gunfight and taken into custody, Jordanian officials said. The shooting killed nine people and wounded at least 34 at St. George’s Church, in a country where Christians make up a small minority. Jordan’s security chief described the suspects as extremists acting alone, not as members of an organised group. Authorities have not publicly found evidence of a wider network behind the attack. ^1,8,10

The dispute over coordination now has a direct cost: Syria closed the Nassib crossing, the only route for passengers and commercial goods between the two countries. Syrian officials say they are investigating and have opened channels of communication with Jordan; Amman says it coordinated the strikes. The next test is whether talks can settle that disagreement and reopen the crossing while both sides address the civilian deaths. ^3,5