Jordanian Airstrike Kills Five in Syria; Border Crossing Shuts Down
Syria suspended all traffic at the Nassib crossing following a Jordanian jet strike in Daraa province, which Damascus claimed occurred without prior notice.
By Julian Reed ·
The Nassib border crossing between Jordan and Syria has suspended all passenger and commercial traffic, a move that halts a key economic link for regional traders and commuters. Syrian authorities closed the checkpoint on Monday in response to a Jordanian military strike on a village in the southern Daraa province. This is the only such crossing between the two nations.
Jordanian fighter jets targeted what the military described as terrorist organizations in retaliation for a shooting at a Greek Orthodox church funeral in Karak earlier in the week. Syrian health officials reported that five people died in the airstrike, including women, children, and an elderly man. Jordan stated that its jets killed and wounded several terrorists but provided no specific casualty figures for the attack.
The two governments presented conflicting accounts of the coordination leading up to the strike. Jordan said it had coordinated the operation with the Syrian government, while Syria stated it had not been notified of the Monday attack. Damascus said it opened direct communication channels with Jordanian officials and launched a comprehensive investigation into the targeting of the village.
The retaliatory strike follows a deadly incident on Friday when gunmen attacked a Christian funeral in Karak, killing nine people and injuring 34 others. Earlier on Monday, Jordanian security forces arrested three suspects in connection with the church shooting. The Public Security Directorate identified the men as two brothers and their brother-in-law, whom officials found hiding in an abandoned house in Karak before dawn.
Jordan's Interior Minister, Mazen al-Faraya, confirmed to state-affiliated television that the attackers were all Jordanian nationals. He said the group had been holed up in a building in a village near the site of the attack. The arrests mark a tactical development in the investigation, while the closure of the Nassib crossing adds a new layer of friction to bilateral relations.
Source: BBC News
