The Jordanian air force carried out airstrikes on Monday evening, October 27, against armed groups and militant hideouts in southern Syria. The military action was in retaliation for a Friday attack on a Greek Orthodox church in the southern Jordanian city of Karak that killed nine people.
Government Communication Minister Mohammed al-Momani stated that the strikes killed more than 20 Islamic State militants. The Jordanian air force reported that the operation resulted in the destruction of a number of vehicles and the killing and wounding of many members of the terrorist groups linked to the church attack.
Syrian authorities condemned the strikes in rural Deraa and Suwayda, providing a different account of the casualties. Syria reported that seven people were killed, including a woman and three children. Syrian officials further stated that Jordan did not coordinate the operation with Damascus, leading Syria to close its border crossings with Jordan.
A Jordanian government spokesperson expressed regret over unintended civilian casualties, stressing that the country had deep respect for the Syrian state and people. Although the Jordanian armed forces claimed the operation was conducted in coordination with Damascus, the strikes have threatened relations between the two neighbors.