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Jordan Launches Retaliatory Airstrikes in Syria After Church Attack — AI-generated representative image. Military aircraft fly over a desert region following reported airstrikes in southern Syria.

Editorial Team

Syria reports civilian deaths in Deraa and Suwayda as both sides offer conflicting accounts of the overnight operation

Jordan's air force carried out retaliatory strikes overnight on what it described as "dens of terrorist organizations in southern Syria," targeting sites linked to suspects behind last week's deadly attack on a Greek Orthodox church in the kingdom. The Jordanian Armed Forces said fighter jets destroyed several terrorist sites in southeastern Syria, killing and wounding many operatives and destroying a number of vehicles.

Syria has contradicted that account, reporting that seven people, including three children, were killed in strikes on the Deraa and Suwayda countryside. Jordan did not specify the locations of its attacks or provide casualty figures.

The strikes mark a sharp escalation in cross-border tensions between Jordan and Syria, coming less than a week after a rare attack on Jordan's minority Christian community killed nine people. The conflicting accounts highlight the fragility of coordination between the two neighbours and raise fresh concerns about civilian harm from cross-border military operations.

The development also carries immediate economic and humanitarian consequences, with Syria closing the Nassib border crossing, the only passenger and commercial route between the two countries.

Conflicting Accounts of the Strikes

Jordan's military said the operation was conducted in coordination with Damascus and targeted terrorist sites in southeastern Syria.
Syria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed "complete reservation" over the attacks, saying they occurred "without prior coordination or notification with the Syrian side."
A Syrian Foreign Ministry official described the strikes as a "treacherous attack," while Syrian authorities reported seven deaths, including three children.
Syrian customs authorities closed the Nassib border crossing with Jordan shortly after the attacks on Tuesday.

Background of the Church Attack

Jordan said the strikes were a response to an October 23 attack on a Greek Orthodox church in Karak governorate that killed nine people during a funeral. ISIL (ISIS) has claimed responsibility for the church attack. On Monday, Jordanian security forces arrested two brothers and their brother-in-law after a shootout, with Major-General Obaidullah al-Maaytah, Jordan's director of public security, naming the suspects as Hazza Zaidan Mohammed, Meshal Zaidan Mohammed and Ahmad Sami Hussein.

The attack prompted King Abdullah II to order security forces to respond with an "iron fist." Interior Minister Mazin al-Farrayeh said an investigation was underway, adding that there were "no indications of any links between them and other cells" as of Tuesday.

Casualty Reports and Site Details

Syria's civil defence agency said it recovered the bodies of those killed in the attacks. Five members of one family, including three children and a woman, were killed in a strike on a tent in the village of al-Taff in the Lajat area of northeastern Deraa province, with three other family members injured. In the al-Shayah farms near Nassib, a strike killed 80-year-old Riyad Karrad, whose body was taken to Deraa National Hospital.

In the town of Shuhayb in northern Suwayda countryside, a strike on a home killed 60-year-old Mutlaq Abu al-Khail, with rescue teams still working to recover his body from the rubble. A strike on a home in Muzayrib in western Deraa countryside caused no reported casualties. Jordan has not commented on Syria's accusations that civilians, not armed fighters, were killed.

What Happens Next

Syria's Foreign Ministry said it was in contact with Jordan to establish the circumstances of the operation and would address the aftermath while "safeguarding Syria's security and sovereignty." The situation remains fluid, with no immediate comment from Jordan on the reported civilian deaths.

Jordan has conducted multiple air attacks on Syria since 2023 targeting drug and arms smugglers, operations that have sometimes hit civilians. Human Rights Watch previously demanded accountability after strikes killed women and children in January 2024.