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Jordan airstrikes in Syria kill civilians, Amman says it hit IS

Jordan said Monday night airstrikes in southern Syria killed more than 20 Islamic State fighters after a church attack in Karak; Syria said seven civilians died and closed the Nassib crossing.

By AI reporterPRESSElena Marsh · WhatsNewPaper Desk
Developing story: what's new
  1. DW and Al-Monitor are now reporting this
  2. New headline Was: “Jordan carries out deadly strike in Syria in retaliation for church attack”
  3. Our desk filed its story
  4. Still developing
  5. BBC is now reporting this
  6. First reported by Al Jazeera

Jordan's air force struck southern Syria on Monday night in what Amman called retaliation for a deadly shooting at a Greek Orthodox funeral in Karak, while Syrian officials said the raids killed civilians in Daraa and Sweida and closed the main border crossing1,2,3.

Jordan said the targets were Islamic State hideouts and a weapons depot and that more than 20 militants were killed2. Syrian accounts put the death toll among civilians at five to seven, including children, a woman and elderly men1,2,3.

Syrian health officials told state media five people were killed in a Daraa village1. Al Jazeera, citing Syria's Civil Defence, said one strike killed five members of one family and that other strikes killed men aged 60 and 80 in Deraa and Suwayda3.

On Tuesday, Communications Minister Mohammed al-Momani said Jordan regretted civilian casualties2. "Jordan always takes all precautions to avoid harming civilians," he said, adding the raids were based on field intelligence2.

The Jordanian military said it had coordinated with Damascus1,3. Syria said it was not notified and called the operation a violation of its airspace1,2,3.

Syria closed the Nassib crossing, the only passenger and commercial border point with Jordan, suspending traffic in both directions1,3,4. Damascus said it had opened channels with Jordanian officials and launched an investigation1,3.

In Al-Taf, Daraa, relatives of the Salim family said a missile hit their home at night4. "We were asleep when the missile hit us," Nassouh al-Salim said, naming his mother, older brother and three children among the dead4.

Mohammad al-Fadel, a hospital nursing head in Daraa, said staff received the bodies of three children aged 8 to 10 and a woman about 60, and that two children aged 4 and 5 were wounded4.

The church attack in Karak on Friday killed nine people and wounded more than two dozen, according to Jordanian officials1,3. Earlier Monday, security forces arrested two brothers and their brother-in-law after a confrontation near the attack site; Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya said the suspects were Jordanian1,3.

No group has publicly claimed the Karak shooting2. King Abdullah II had pledged a stern response3. Al-Monitor described the strikes as the sharpest rupture in Jordan-Syria ties since Islamist authorities took power in Damascus in December 20244.

Sources

  1. BBCJordan carries out deadly strike in Syria in retaliation for church attack
  2. DWJordan acknowledges civilian casualties in Syria airstrike against 'Islamic State'
  3. Al JazeeraJordan strikes Syria after church attack, killing at least seven people
  4. Al-Monitor'They were innocent': Syrian family mourns victims of Jordanian strike

Read the original at BBC ↗

How it’s being reported

4 sources

First reported by Al JazeeraAl Jazeera

Where they agree

  • Jordan carried out airstrikes in southern Syria on Monday night after the Karak church attack.
  • Syria closed the Nassib border crossing.
  • Jordan arrested three men in connection with the church shooting before the strikes.
  • Syria denies prior coordination; Jordan asserts it coordinated.

Where they differ

Who was killed and how many

Whether Damascus was consulted

Side by side

Each outlet's article broken down by our newsroom, in our own words. To read what they wrote, use the button under each one.

BBC

Jordan carries out deadly strike in Syria in retaliation for church attack

Conflicting casualty accounts and Syria closing the Nassib crossing

BBC reports Jordan struck sites it called terrorist groups in Syria after the Karak church attack, while Syrian health officials said five civilians were killed in Daraa. BBC News

Leaves out Later Jordanian admission of civilian deaths and a named family in Al-Taf

Conflicting casualty accounts and Syria closing the Nassib crossing

What it reports

  • Jordan said the Monday strike was retaliation for a Friday church funeral shooting in Karak that killed nine people.
  • Syrian health officials told state media five people, including women, children and an elderly man, were killed in a Daraa village.
  • Jordan said it coordinated with Damascus; Syria said it was not notified.
  • Syria closed the Nassib crossing, the only passenger and commercial border point with Jordan.
  • Jordan earlier arrested two brothers and their brother-in-law over the church attack.

Leaves out Later Jordanian admission of civilian deaths and a named family in Al-Taf

Read the original at BBC Read the full article at BBC
DWDW

Jordan acknowledges civilian casualties in Syria airstrike against 'Islamic State'

Amman's Tuesday admission of civilian casualties and Syria's protest over airspace

DW reports Jordan's communications minister expressed regret over civilian deaths while saying the air force killed more than 20 IS fighters and destroyed a weapons depot.

Leaves out Hospital ages of child victims reported by Al-Monitor

Amman's Tuesday admission of civilian casualties and Syria's protest over airspace

What it reports

  • Communications Minister Mohammed al-Momani said Jordan regretted civilian casualties and had tried to avoid sites with civilians.
  • Jordan said losses among IS fighters exceeded 20 and that a large weapons depot was destroyed.
  • Syria said seven people died in Daraa and Sweida, including three children and a woman, plus two elderly men.
  • Syria's Foreign Ministry called the strikes a violation of Syrian airspace and said there was no prior coordination.
  • No group has claimed the Karak church attack; three Jordanian men were arrested after a shootout.

Leaves out Hospital ages of child victims reported by Al-Monitor

Read the original at DW Read the full article at DW
Al JazeeraAl Jazeera

Jordan strikes Syria after church attack, killing at least seven people

Syrian casualty breakdown by family and ages, and King Abdullah's pledge of a stern response

Al Jazeera reports strikes in Deraa and Suwayda killed at least seven people, Syria denied coordination, and the Nassib crossing was closed.

Leaves out Jordan's later public regret over civilian deaths

Syrian casualty breakdown by family and ages, and King Abdullah's pledge of a stern response

What it reports

  • Jordan's military said the strikes hit terrorist organizations in southeastern Syria linked to the church attackers.
  • Syria's defence ministry said one strike killed five members of one family, including three children, a woman and a man.
  • Two other strikes killed men aged 60 and 80, according to Syrian accounts.
  • A government source said the three church-attack suspects were seriously injured in a roughly three-hour confrontation in Al-Jadeeda.
  • Christians are a small minority in Jordan, about 300,000 of 11.5 million people.

Leaves out Jordan's later public regret over civilian deaths

Read the original at Al Jazeera Read the full article at Al Jazeera
Al-MonitorAl-Monitor

'They were innocent': Syrian family mourns victims of Jordanian strike

On-the-ground mourning in Al-Taf and the Salim family deaths

Al-Monitor reports from Al-Taf in Daraa, where relatives said a missile destroyed the Salim family home and funerals were held Tuesday.

Leaves out Full Jordanian military statement language on coordination

On-the-ground mourning in Al-Taf and the Salim family deaths

What it reports

  • Nassouh al-Salim said his mother, older brother and three children were killed while the family was asleep.
  • The strike hit the village of Al-Taf in Daraa, leaving a crater through the living room.
  • A Daraa hospital nursing head said three children aged 8 to 10 and a woman about 60 were among the dead; two younger children were wounded.
  • The report called the strikes the biggest crisis between Jordan and Syria since Islamist authorities took power in Damascus in December 2024.
  • Jordan has previously struck southern Syria over arms and drugs trafficking.

Leaves out Full Jordanian military statement language on coordination

Read the original at Al-Monitor Read the full article at Al-Monitor