Jordanian airstrikes in southern Syria kill at least 7, including children

By Nathan Morley

Jordanian airstrikes on southern Syria killed at least seven people, including three children, Syrian officials said, prompting a rare public rebuke from Damascus and the closure of a key border crossing between the two countries. 

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The head of the Health Ministry in Daraa district told the Syrian state news agency SANA that the dead included three children, three men and a woman. 

Rescue teams were still searching for more victims, according to reports from Syria, and a final toll had not been determined.

Jordan’s armed forces confirmed that they had struck what they called terrorist hideouts in southern Syria, according to Jordan’s official news agency, Petra.

Retaliation for attack on church

The military said the strikes were retaliation for a deadly attack on a church on Friday, and it blamed militant groups operating in southern Syria. 

It said several suspected militants had been killed or wounded, but it gave no specific casualty figures.

The Jordanian military also said it had carried out the operation in coordination with the Syrian government. Damascus explicitly denied that claim.

In fact, the Syrian Foreign Ministry said it had protested to Jordan over military operations inside Syrian territory without prior coordination. 

Furthermore, in response to the situation, Syria also closed the Nasib border crossing with Jordan, citing security concerns and developments in Daraa. 

The closure suspends all passenger and commercial traffic in both directions.

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