Jordan strikes southern Syria in response to attack on church in Karak

Airstrikes and discrepancies in casualty figures

Jordan carried out airstrikes on Syria's southern province of Daraa, describing them as a response to Friday's attack on a Greek Orthodox church in Karak, where nine people were killed and 34 wounded in shooting at a funeral. The Jordanian Armed Forces said the strike targeted hideouts of armed groups responsible for the attack, resulting in The National, Syrian authorities reported at least seven dead: according to the Daraa health directorate, among them were three children, three men and one woman. The BBC, citing Syrian medics speaking to state media, reports five dead, including women, children and an elderly man — meaning the casualty figures differ between reports.

Coordination in question and the border closure

The key point of contention between the parties is whether the strike was coordinated at all. The Jordanian army said the strikes were carried out in coordination with Syria; Damascus denies this, saying it was not notified of the attack, and has launched an investigation into the circumstances of the strike. In response, Syrian authorities closed the Nasib crossing — the only passenger and trade crossing between Jordan and Syria — fully suspending passenger and commercial traffic in both directions

Detentions in Karak

Earlier on Monday, Jordanian security agencies reported progress in the investigation into the attack itself: according to the Public Security Directorate (PSD), two brothers and their brother-in-law have been detained, found before dawn in an abandoned house in Karak. Jordan's Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya said on state television that the attackers — all Jordanian nationals —