Jordan conducts air strikes in Syria after church attack, killing at least seven

Jordan's armed forces carried out air strikes on southeastern Syria on Monday, saying they targeted hideouts of armed groups in retaliation for a gun attack on a Greek Orthodox church in the Karak governorate that killed at least nine people. The Jordanian military stated the raids were conducted "in coordination with the Syrian government" and resulted in the killing and wounding of members of the targeted groups and the destruction of several vehicles.

Syria's civil defence reported that four sites in the Deraa and Suweyda provinces were hit, with seven civilians – three children, a woman and three men – confirmed dead. Five of the victims belonged to a single family killed in a strike on a tent in Al-Tai, Deraa Province. Additional strikes hit an 80-year-old man in Al Shayyah, a residential building in Muzayrib (no casualties), and a 60-year-old man in Shahba, Suweyda Province.

The Syrian foreign ministry described the operation as an uncoordinated attack and said it would investigate the incident. A ministry official told Al Jazeera the strikes were a "treacherous attack" and that the government would manage the fallout while preserving Syrian sovereignty.

Following the strikes, Syrian border authorities closed the Nassib crossing, the sole passenger and goods link between the two countries, halting traffic in both directions.

Earlier on Monday, Jordanian security forces arrested two brothers and their brother-in-law in Al-Jadeeda village on suspicion of involvement in the church shooting, after a three-hour confrontation that left the suspects seriously injured. King Abdullah II had previously pledged a stern response to the attack, promising the "harshest penalties" for those responsible and ordering a review of security procedures.