Jordan

Jordan Strikes Syria Following Church Attack

Was this a reckless attack on sleeping families or a necessary blow against terror cells hiding behind civilians?

3 hours ago·Updated 1 hour ago

Jordan Strikes Syria Following Church Attack

Story

Above: An aerial view of people inspecting the damage at a site targeted by airstrikes carried out by Jordan on Syria on Oct. 27. Image credit: Bakr ALkasem/AFP/Getty Images

The Facts

Jordan said Tuesday that airstrikes on southern Syria the previous evening killed more than 20 Islamic State fighters and destroyed a large weapons depot, with government spokesman Mohammad al-Momani expressing regret over civilian casualties.
Reuters
EuroNews
Financial Times
Syrian health officials said seven people — three children, a woman and three men — were killed in the Monday evening strikes, among them five members of one family hit while sheltering in a tent in the village of al-Taf in Daraa province.
France 24
Vatican News
Syria closed the Nassib crossing, its only passenger and commercial border point with Jordan, suspending traffic in both directions after the strikes, citing the need to ensure the safety of travelers and workers at the site.
The Media Line
BBC News
ACLED
Jordan's armed forces said fighter jets destroyed militant sites in southeastern Syria in coordination with Damascus, while Syria's Foreign Ministry conveyed its "complete reservation" over operations it said were carried out without prior notification.
The National News
The Jerusalem Post
Al Jazeera
The Syrian government also said it had "opened direct channels of communication" with Jordanian officials and launched investigations into the targeting, stressing joint field and security coordination in border areas and respect for Syrian sovereignty.
The New York Times
SANA
This comes as Jordanian security forces arrested two brothers and their brother-in-law before dawn Monday after a shootout at an abandoned house in Karak governorate, in connection with last week's church attack that killed nine people and wounded dozens more. The men were identified as Jordanians.
Financial Times
DW
The Guardian

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

Blowing up families asleep in a tent is no way to fight terrorism, and calling it a win doesn't change what got left behind. Sovereignty isn't optional — bombing a neighbor's territory without a heads-up is reckless and torches the trust both countries need.

SANA

Charles Lister on X

Narrative B

Gunmen slaughtering mourners inside a church can't be met with a shrug and a strongly worded statement. Terror cells nesting across a porous border are the actual threat, and leaving those cells untouched only guarantees more funerals.

The Media Line

The Jerusalem Post

Hussain Abdul-Hussain on X