Jordan Airstrikes in Syria Kill 7 Civilians as Nasib Crossing Shuts Down

Jordanian warplanes struck targets in southern Syria on Monday, and Syria shut its Nasib border crossing with Jordan on Tuesday, in a fast-moving dispute over a deadly church attack. Jordan says the strikes hit militant hideouts in Daraa and Sweida provinces linked to gunmen who opened fire at a church funeral in Karak governorate on October 23, killing nine people. Syria's civil defence said it recovered seven bodies in Daraa and Sweida, including five members of one family — three children, a woman and a man — along with a 60-year-old man and an 80-year-old man.
The two governments disagree sharply on what happened. Jordan's armed forces said the operation was carried out in coordination with the Syrian government and killed or wounded several suspected militants while destroying vehicles and equipment. Damascus denied any coordination, said the strikes took place without prior notice, and opened an investigation, with families of the dead telling Syrian state media the victims were civilians working in livestock farming.
Syria's ports and customs authority announced on Tuesday that the Nasib crossing would close, suspending passenger and commercial traffic in both directions, citing security concerns and developments in Daraa province. Nasib is Jordan's only passenger and commercial border crossing with Syria, so the closure threatens trade and travel while both sides investigate. Jordanian security forces also arrested three suspects in the Karak church attack — two brothers and their brother-in-law — after a shootout in the village of al-Jadeeda on Monday.
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