Five civilians, including women and children, were killed and two others wounded on Monday, October 26, in Jordanian airstrikes targeting several sites in the countryside of Daraa governorate (southern Syria).
Syria’s official news agency, SANA, quoted the Daraa Health Directorate as saying that airstrikes hit Muzayrib (western Daraa countryside), wounding two people who were taken to Tafas National Hospital for treatment.
The directorate also confirmed that the body of a 65-year-old civilian from the Tariq al-Sad neighborhood of Daraa city had arrived at Daraa National Hospital. He had died from severe shrapnel wounds caused by the airstrikes.
Syria Denies Prior Coordination
The Jordanian Armed Forces announced on Monday that the Royal Jordanian Air Force had carried out “Operation Jordanian Deterrence, Hmoud,” targeting sites in southeastern Syria. It said the operation had been coordinated with the Syrian government, according to Jordan’s official news agency, Petra.
In response, the Syrian government said that “the relevant authorities are closely monitoring developments on the ground in southern Syria following the strikes carried out by the Jordanian Air Force,” which caused civilian casualties, including children. It said there had been no prior coordination with the Syrian side regarding the military operation.
In a statement carried by SANA, the government said: “We stand with the affected Syrian families and express our full solidarity with them in this tragedy. We extend our sincere condolences to the families of those killed and wish the wounded a speedy recovery.” It added that the relevant authorities were monitoring the circumstances and needs of those affected and working to provide the necessary support.
The government said channels of communication with Jordan were open and active to discuss the situation, stressing “the importance of joint field and security coordination for any steps concerning border areas, in a way that preserves the sovereignty of the Syrian Arab Republic and safeguards the security and stability of the two brotherly countries.”
The Jordanian military statement said the strikes were a response to the attack on a funeral service at a church in Hmoud, a town in Karak governorate, the previous Friday. It asserted that the perpetrators of the Karak attack were linked to the groups targeted in Syria, which it described as “terrorist organizations.”
According to the Jordanian military’s official account, fighter jets destroyed several sites and vehicles belonging to those organizations, killing and wounding some of their members.
The General Command of the Jordanian Armed Forces concluded its statement by stressing that it would continue taking measures to protect the country and its citizens and pursue extremist groups.
Enab Baladi’s correspondent in Daraa also reported on Monday that Jordanian warplanes had struck several locations in the governorate that evening, including Muzayrib, the al-Lajat area (Daraa countryside), and the border town of Nasib (southern Daraa countryside).
Citing local sources, the correspondent relayed preliminary reports that an entire family had been wounded in the strikes on Nasib, along with members of another family in al-Lajat. Efforts to determine the number of people killed and wounded were continuing.
An armed attack on a church in the village of Hmoud in Karak governorate, southern Jordan, killed nine people the previous Friday.
Jordan’s Public Security Directorate announced on Monday that it had arrested the three attackers, who were found to belong to the same family from the village. Two of them were brothers.