Jordan said on Tuesday it had killed more than 20 Islamic State militants in airstrikes on southern Syria the previous evening, launched in response to a deadly church attack in Jordan that authorities linked to militants operating across the border, Reuters reported.
Jordan said on Monday its air force had struck what it described as militant hideouts in southern Syria after determining that the suspects behind last week’s church attack were linked to “terrorist groups” based there. No group has claimed responsibility for the church assault, although Jordan said the militants targeted in Syria were members of Islamic State.
Seven dead in Syria, including three children
Syria said the strikes killed seven people, including three children, three men and a woman, according to Khaled al-Amyan, head of Daraa’s Health Directorate, speaking to Syria’s state news agency SANA. Three others were injured, and rescue teams were continuing to search for possible additional victims, with the final casualty toll yet to be determined.
Jordan regretted the civilian casualties, Government Communication Minister Mohammed al-Momani said in a post on X.
Jordanian security officials said separately that security forces had arrested two brothers and their brother-in-law following a shootout linked to the church attack, which killed nine people, Reuters reported.
A dispute over coordination
The strikes sparked anger in Syria. While the Jordanian military said the strikes were conducted in coordination with Damascus, Syria’s government said they were carried out without prior coordination and announced an investigation.
Syria’s foreign ministry condemned the Jordanian strikes as a violation of the country’s sovereignty. It said, however, that Damascus was coordinating with Amman and would establish a joint security committee to strengthen border security and prevent similar incidents from recurring.
Syria’s General Authority for Ports and Customs announced that the Nasib border crossing with Jordan would be closed on Tuesday, citing the security situation and ongoing developments in Daraa province, Xinhua reported.
Statements in recent days by Jordanian authorities that there had been no prior planning of the church attack have added to the confusion, appearing at odds with Jordan’s justification for the cross-border strikes, Reuters reported.
Sources: Reuters; Xinhua (via SANA and Syrian state media); Jordanian government statements.
