Jordanian jets kill five in Daraa after Karak church attack

Five people, including women, children, and an elderly man, died in a Jordanian airstrike on a village in Syria's southern Daraa province on Monday. Syrian health officials reported the casualties via state media. Jordan's military stated its fighter jets targeted 'terrorist organisations' and killed or wounded several of them, though it provided no further details on the specific targets or damage.

The attack follows a shooting at a Greek Orthodox church funeral in Karak, Jordan, on Friday. That incident left nine people dead and 34 others injured. On Monday morning, senior government security officials announced the arrest of two brothers and their brother-in-law. The Public Security Directorate reported that the three men were hiding in an abandoned house in Karak when they were found before dawn. Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya told state-affiliated television that all three attackers were Jordanian and had been sheltering in a building near the attack site.

Jordan claims it co-ordinated the strike with the Syrian government. Syria disputed this, stating it had not been notified of Monday's attack. In response to the bombing, Syrian authorities closed the Nassib border crossing, the only passenger and commercial link between the two countries. Officials said the closure includes a complete suspension of traffic in both directions to ensure safety. They also noted that direct communication channels with Jordanian officials had been opened and comprehensive investigations into the targeting circumstances had begun.

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