Damascus Expresses Strong Objections to Jordanian Airstrikes Carried Out Without Prior Coordination, Syrian Foreign Ministry Says.
Seven people were killed in Jordanian airstrikes targeting multiple locations in the Deraa countryside of southern Syria, the Syrian state news agency reported early Tuesday, citing the province’s top health official.
According to an initial assessment by the Syrian Civil Defence, those killed included three children and a woman. Three other people, including two men and a child, sustained injuries.
Local health authorities said emergency response teams were dispatched to four locations affected by the strikes across rural areas of Deraa and Sweida provinces.
On Monday, Jordan announced that its air force had carried out strikes against what it described as militant hideouts in southern Syria. The operation followed findings by Jordanian authorities suggesting that suspects involved in the previous week’s deadly church attack in the kingdom had connections to “terrorist groups” based in the area.
Jordan’s armed forces maintained that the military action had been coordinated with Syrian authorities. However, Damascus disputed that account, announcing an investigation into the strikes and emphasising the need for closer operational and security cooperation along the shared border.
In an official statement, Syria’s foreign ministry said Damascus had communicated its “complete reservation” to Jordan regarding the airstrikes, which it said had taken place without prior coordination.
Following the military operation, Syrian authorities temporarily shut the Nassib border crossing with Jordan on Tuesday, halting both passenger movement and commercial transport in either direction.
The Syrian General Authority for Border Crossings and Customs attributed the closure to developments in Deraa province.
Nassib serves as the only border crossing between Jordan and Syria handling both passenger and commercial traffic.
Earlier on Monday, senior Jordanian security officials announced the arrest of three men — two brothers and their brother-in-law — following an exchange of gunfire with security forces. The suspects were wanted in connection with the church attack that left nine people dead.
“God willing, they only represent themselves,” Jordan’s Director of Public Security, Major-General Obeidallah al-Maaytah, said.
Violent incidents of this nature are uncommon in Jordan, which is regarded as a relatively stable US ally in the Middle East.
The attack targeting members of the country’s Christian minority prompted King Abdullah to instruct security agencies to respond with an “iron fist”.
During a press conference, al-Maaytah and Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya reiterated that Jordan would not tolerate extremist violence or acts of terrorism.
“The file has not yet been closed; investigations are still ongoing. As of today, there are no indications of any links between them and other cells,” al-Faraya said.
Deadly attack took place during Greek Orthodox funeral
Friday’s shooting occurred during a funeral service at a Greek Orthodox church in Hamoud village, approximately 120 kilometres (75 miles) southwest of Amman, Jordan’s capital.
The assault killed nine people and injured at least 34 others. Witnesses reported that armed attackers fired shots for several minutes during the incident.
Jordanian security officials said the three suspects, who lived in the vicinity of Hamoud, would face legal proceedings. Their identities were also disclosed during the official briefing.
Video footage obtained by Reuters showed a building in al-Judayyda village, within Karak governorate, marked by bullet damage following the confrontation between the suspects and security personnel.
In a statement distributed through state media, Jordan’s Public Security Directorate said investigators had traced the suspects to an abandoned building where they were hiding.
When security officers approached, the men reportedly refused to surrender and opened fire. Security forces responded, injuring the three suspects before taking them into custody.
Authorities confirmed that no security personnel were wounded during the operation. Officers also recovered several firearms and quantities of ammunition from the suspects.
No organisation has claimed responsibility for the deadly church shooting.
Jordan, which cooperates closely with the United States on counterterrorism operations, has previously disrupted plots involving Islamist militant groups.
However, officials did not identify any specific Islamist organisation during Monday’s press conference, and investigations into the attack remain ongoing.
