Why Jordan has struck Syria: What we know

Jordan said its air force conducted retaliatory attacks on what it called “dens of terrorist organizations in southern Syria”, linked to suspects accused of being behind last week’s attack on a Greek Orthodox church in the kingdom.

In a post on X, the Jordanian Armed Forces said: “Fighter jets from the Royal Air Force destroyed a number of terrorist sites in southeastern Syria.

“The operation resulted in the killing and wounding of many elements of the terrorist organizations and the destruction of a number of their vehicles,” Jordan’s Armed Forces added.

“The armed forces said the operation was conducted in coordination with ⁠Damascus.” Jordan’s military said in a further post on X.

ISIL (ISIS) has claimed responsibility for the October 23 church attack.

Jordan did not specify the locations of the attacks or provide casualty figures.

What is Syria saying?

Syria has contradicted Jordan’s account of the overnight attacks.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed Jordan of its “complete reservation” over the attacks, which took place “without prior coordination or notification with the Syrian side”.

A Foreign Ministry official told Al Jazeera’s Heidi Pett that the strikes were a “treacherous attack”.

Pett reported from Syria that authorities have said seven people were killed, including three children, in Jordanian air attacks on Deraa and Suwayda countryside.

Syria’s Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management said its teams had responded to attacks in four sites.

Syria’s civil defence agency said it had recovered the bodies of those killed in attacks. They include five members of one family, including three children and a woman who were killed together in a strike on a tent in the village of al-Taff, in the Lajat area of northeastern Deraa province. Three other members of the family were injured, it said.

In the al-Shayah farms near Nassib, in Deraa countryside, a strike on a farm killed Riyad Karrad, 80. His body was taken to Deraa National Hospital.

In Muzayrib, in the Ein al-Basal area of western Deraa countryside, a strike hit a home. No casualties were reported.

In the town of Shuhayb, in northern Suwayda countryside, a strike on a home killed Mutlaq Abu al-Khail, 60. Rescue teams were still working to recover his body from the rubble when the report was issued.

There was no immediate comment from Jordan on Syria’s accusations that civilians – not armed fighters – were killed.

Shortly after the attacks, Syrian customs authorities on Tuesday closed the Nassib border crossing with Jordan, the only passenger and commercial traffic pathway between the neighbours.

Why did Jordan attack Syrian sites?

Jordan said its attacks on Syrian territory were in response to an attack on a Greek Orthodox church in Karak governorate.

On Monday, senior government security officials said Jordanian security forces had arrested two brothers and their brother-in-law after a shootout over the violence that killed nine people in a rare attack on the minority Christian community in Jordan on Friday.

Major-General Obaidullah al-Maaytah, Jordan’s director of public security, named the three detained suspects as Hazza Zaidan Mohammed, Meshal Zaidan Mohammed and Ahmad Sami Hussein.

The attack during a funeral prompted Jordan’s King Abdullah II to order security forces to respond with an “iron fist”.

Jordan’s Interior Minister Mazin al-Farrayeh said he was launching an investigation “examining all the circumstances that lead young people towards extremism”.

“The file has not yet been closed; investigations are still ongoing. As of today, there are ⁠no indications of any links between them and other cells,” al-Farrayeh added.

Has Jordan struck Syrian territory in the past?

Jordan has conducted multiple air attacks on Syria since 2023, saying it was targeting drug and arms smugglers.

The operations have sometimes hit civilians.

Human Rights Watch demanded accountability after Jordan launched attacks that killed women and children in January 2024.

“Cross-border airstrikes that kill civilians demand scrutiny regardless of the threat posed by drug smuggling from southern Syria,” Human Rights Watch said.

The Jordanian Armed Forces said its operations along its border were aimed at armed groups reportedly carrying narcotics, arms, and explosives that it suspected are linked to Iran-allied groups.

How will Syria respond to Jordan’s latest attack?

Syria’s Foreign Ministry said it was in contact with Jordan to establish the circumstances of the operation.

Damascus said it will address the aftermath of the attacks while “safeguarding Syria’s security and sovereignty”.