Jordan bombs southern Syria, kills seven

Jordanian warplanes struck targets in Syria's southern provinces on Monday, killing at least seven people. The attacks hit Deraa and Suwayda, areas bordering Jordan. Damascus says one strike killed five family members, including three children.

The Jordanian military said the operation targeted hideouts for armed groups linked to the October 23 attack on a Greek Orthodox church in Karak. That shooting left nine people dead and dozens wounded. Jordan has not named the specific groups or the exact coordinates of the strikes.

Syria's defense ministry rejected Jordan's claim that the two nations coordinated the attack. In a Telegram post, the ministry detailed the casualties. It said one strike hit a family of five, while two other strikes killed a 60-year-old man and an 80-year-old man. Syria has opened an investigation into the incidents.

Following the bombardment, Syrian border authorities closed the Nassib crossing. This is Jordan's only point of entry for passenger and commercial traffic with Syria. The suspension halted all movement in both directions. The closure adds pressure to the region's trade routes.

Earlier on Monday, Jordanian security forces arrested three men in the village of Al-Jadeeda. The suspects are two brothers and their brother-in-law. They are linked to the church shooting. A government source said the three men sustained serious injuries during a three-hour shootout with police.

King Abdullah II vowed harsh penalties for the attackers after the funeral service came under fire. The church is about 90 kilometers south of Amman. Karak is home to a small Christian minority, which numbers about 300,000 in a country of 11.5 million.