Jordan Strikes Syria After Church Attack as Damascus Reports Civilian Deaths

Jordan said its air force struck what it called terrorist sites in southern Syria in retaliation for a deadly attack on a Greek Orthodox church last week. Syria says the strikes killed seven civilians, including three children, and has condemned the operation as a violation of its airspace, according to Al Jazeera and Euronews.

The two governments also disagree on whether the raids were coordinated, and Syria has closed the only border crossing used for passenger and commercial traffic between the neighbors.

What Jordan says

Jordan’s military said Royal Air Force fighter jets destroyed a number of terrorist sites in southeastern Syria, killing and wounding many members of militant groups and destroying vehicles, Al Jazeera reported. It said the operation was carried out in retaliation for the Oct. 23 attack on a church in Karak governorate, where nine people were reportedly killed. ISIS has claimed responsibility for that attack.

Jordanian government spokesperson Mohammad Al-Momani said more than 20 Islamic State fighters were killed and a major weapons depot was destroyed, according to Euronews. He said the strikes followed intelligence about imminent threats. Al-Momani said Jordan had avoided civilian sites, expressed regret over “unintended casualties” and said his country has deep respect for the Syrian state and people.

Jordan’s military also said the operation was coordinated with Damascus. It did not give the locations of the strikes or casualty figures, Al Jazeera reported.

What Syria says

Syria disputes that account. Its Foreign Ministry told Jordan it had “complete reservation” over the strikes, which it said happened without prior coordination or notification, according to Al Jazeera. A ministry official called the attack treacherous. Euronews reported that the ministry described the strikes as an “unacceptable violation” of Syrian airspace.

Syria’s civil defense agency put the death toll at seven, including three children. Five of the dead were members of one family, including three children, a woman and a man, killed in an airstrike on a tent in the village of al-Taff in Daraa province, the agency said. Three other relatives were injured. An 80-year-old man was killed on a farm near Nassib, and a 60-year-old man was killed in a strike on a home in the Suwayda governorate, it said. Another strike hit a home in the Ein al-Basal area of western Daraa, with no casualties reported.

A survivor in al-Taff told AFP, as quoted by Euronews, that his family was asleep when the missile struck and that his mother, his older brother and his brother’s three children were killed. Al Jazeera said there was no immediate comment from Jordan on the Syrian accusation that civilians, not armed fighters, were killed.

Why Jordan struck now

The church attack happened during a funeral and prompted King Abdullah II to order security forces to respond with an “iron fist,” Al Jazeera reported. Jordanian authorities arrested two brothers and their brother-in-law after a shootout. Interior Minister Mazin al-Farrayeh said an investigation is still under way and there are no indications so far of links to other cells.

Al Jazeera noted that Jordan has carried out multiple air attacks in Syria since 2023, saying it was targeting drug and arms smugglers. Those operations have sometimes hit civilians. Human Rights Watch called for accountability after strikes in January 2024 that killed women and children.

What this means for people on both sides of the border

Shortly after the strikes, Syrian customs authorities closed the Nassib border crossing with Jordan on Tuesday, Al Jazeera reported. It is the only route for passenger and commercial traffic between the two countries, so travelers and trade are directly affected. No reopening date was given.

Syria’s Foreign Ministry said it is in contact with Jordan to establish the circumstances of the operation and will address the aftermath while safeguarding its security and sovereignty.

Around Prague, based on reporting by Al Jazeera, Euronews