Jordanian jets kill five in Syria after nine die in church shooting

Jordanian fighter jets killed five people in a southern Syrian village on Monday in retaliation for a shooting at a church funeral that left nine dead and 34 injured last Friday.

Syrian health officials reported that the victims in Daraa province included women, children, and an elderly man. The Jordanian military stated its jets targeted and wounded several members of terrorist organizations, though it provided no specific numbers or names for those killed in the air raid.

Diplomatic tensions rose immediately after the strike. Syrian authorities said they had not been notified of the attack, contradicting the Jordanian government's claim that the two nations had coordinated their actions. In response, Syria closed the Nassib border crossing, suspending all passenger and commercial traffic in both directions.

Syrian officials stated in a statement that they opened direct communication channels with Jordan and launched comprehensive investigations to determine the full circumstances of the targeting. Nassib is the only point of entry for passengers and goods between the two countries.

The conflict follows the Friday attack in Karak, where a Greek Orthodox church was targeted during a funeral. On Monday morning, Jordanian security forces arrested three suspects: two brothers and their brother-in-law. The Public Security Directorate found the men hiding in an abandoned house before dawn.

Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya told state-affiliated television that all three attackers were Jordanian nationals. He said they had been holed up in a building in a village near the church where the shooting took place.