Cross-Border Retaliation: Jordan Bombs Syria After Church Shooting Suspects Arrested
Airstrikes in Deraa and Suwayda killed seven, including children, triggering the closure of the Nassib crossing, Jordan’s sole gate to Syria.
By Carlos Rousseau ·
Jordanian fighter jets struck targets in southern Syria on Monday, a move that killed at least seven people and severed the kingdom’s primary trade link with its neighbor. The strikes followed a fatal shootout in the village of Al-Jadeeda, where security forces detained three men suspected of gunning down worshippers at a Greek Orthodox church earlier in the week.
The Jordanian military stated that the operation targeted hideouts for armed groups it identified as responsible for the attack. While the ministry claimed the strikes destroyed several vehicles and killed numerous members of these organizations, it did not name the specific groups or provide exact coordinates. Initial reports indicate the bombs hit the provinces of Deraa and Suwayda.
The human cost of the strikes was immediate and severe. The Syrian defense ministry stated that one attack struck a family unit, killing a woman, a man, and three children. Two separate strikes claimed the lives of two elderly men, one aged 60 and the other 80. Damascus launched an investigation into the incursion and stressed the need for joint security coordination in border regions.
The Jordanian government described the operation as a coordinated effort with Syrian authorities. Syria’s defense ministry rejected this characterization, issuing a statement on Telegram to deny any prior coordination. The dispute over command and control underscores the fragility of the relationship between the two nations as they manage the aftermath of the violence.
In response to the airstrikes, Syrian border authorities closed the Nassib crossing. This suspension halted all passenger and commercial traffic in both directions. Nassib serves as Jordan’s only land border point with Syria, making the closure a direct blow to regional commerce and movement.
The crisis escalated from an arrest in Al-Jadeeda, where two brothers and their brother-in-law were taken into custody after a three-hour shootout. A government source told Al Jazeera that the suspects suffered serious injuries during the confrontation. They are now the primary suspects in the October 23 attack that left nine people dead and dozens wounded in Karak governorate.
King Abdullah II vowed a stern response to the church shooting, ordering a review of national security procedures. The attack occurred during a funeral approximately 90 kilometers south of Amman. Karak hosts a Christian community that represents roughly 300,000 of Jordan’s 11.5 million residents.
