Syria Condemns Jordanian Airstrikes, Reports Civilian Casualties

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Syria accused Jordan on Tuesday, Oct. 27, of killing and injuring civilians in airstrikes on Daraa Governorate the previous day, condemning the operation as a violation of its sovereignty while Amman maintained that its forces had targeted ISIS positions and killed 20 militants.

In a statement, Syria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates expressed deep concern and dissatisfaction over the bombardment of several locations in the southern governorate, saying the strikes had been carried out without prior coordination between the neighboring countries.

Damascus described the operation as "a clear violation of the principles of good neighborly relations and Syria's territorial sovereignty," arguing that it contradicted existing agreements on bilateral cooperation and security coordination.

The dispute has placed renewed pressure on relations between Damascus and Amman, just five days after the two governments announced plans to strengthen their strategic partnership and reaffirmed their commitment to respecting Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The Syrian ministry said the strikes had caused civilian deaths and injuries. Earlier Syrian accounts identified five civilian casualties, including women and children, without providing a breakdown of those killed and wounded.

Jordan offered a different account on Tuesday, with its communications minister announcing that the operation had targeted ISIS positions in southern Syria and killed 20 militants.

"We did not target sites where intelligence information indicated the presence of civilians," the Jordanian minister said, while announcing plans to establish a joint committee with Syria.

Read More: Jordan Says Syria Strikes Targeted ISIS, Killed 20 Militants

The competing accounts of the casualties have not been reconciled. Jordan's identification of ISIS as the target also came nearly 24 hours after its military initially described the locations struck as hideouts belonging to terrorist organizations, without identifying a specific group.

The Jordanian military had linked the operation to an attack on a church in Jordan's Karak Governorate, although its initial announcement did not present detailed evidence connecting the perpetrators to armed organizations operating inside Syria.

The church attack occurred on Oct. 23 in the town of Hamoud, where three gunmen opened fire during a funeral ceremony at Saint George Church, killing nine people and injuring 25 others.

Jordanian authorities announced the arrest of all three suspects on Monday following a confrontation in Karak. Interior Minister Mazen Al-Faraya subsequently identified them as Jordanian nationals belonging to the same family, comprising two brothers and their brother-in-law.

"There is no indication of any external communications on their part or cooperation with external parties," Al-Faraya said, according to earlier Kurdistan24 reporting.

Read More: Jordan Arrests Three Suspects in Karak Church Attack That Killed Nine

His statement has left an unresolved question about the relationship between the church attack and Jordan's subsequent military operation in Syria. Jordan has not publicly explained how its assertion of a connection with armed groups in southern Syria fits with the interior minister's findings.

Despite condemning the Jordanian airstrikes, Syria's Foreign Ministry also strongly denounced the attack on Saint George Church, describing it as a criminal assault intended to destabilize Jordanian society.

The ministry expressed confidence that unspecified parties were seeking to damage the longstanding relations between the two countries and create divisions between their societies. It did not identify those parties or provide further details about their alleged involvement.

Damascus said intensive efforts were underway to establish a joint field and security committee with Jordan to address violations, prevent similar incidents, strengthen border controls and maintain coordination against threats to either country's security.

Jordan likewise announced its willingness to establish a joint committee and expand cooperation with Damascus. The Jordanian government described ISIS as a common security threat and said bilateral coordination had long covered counterterrorism, weapons smuggling and drug trafficking.

The diplomatic confrontation follows an agreement reached on Oct. 22, when Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani visited Amman and both governments declared their intention to develop a strategic partnership covering security, economic cooperation and other areas.

The two countries also agreed to convene the third session of their Supreme Coordination Council in Damascus on Nov. 8-9, alongside plans to deepen cooperation on energy, water and transportation.

The airstrikes have since complicated those commitments. Syria closed the Nassib border crossing, a major commercial route connecting the neighboring countries, citing security developments in Daraa. The crossing remained closed as of Tuesday's reporting, while uncertainty surrounded the planned coordination council meeting.

Although both governments have expressed support for renewed security cooperation, their positions on the strikes remain divided. Damascus is demanding respect for its sovereignty and safeguards against further uncoordinated operations, while Amman maintains that its military action targeted ISIS militants.

The proposed joint security committee is now the principal mechanism identified by both sides for addressing their differences and preventing further incidents along the border.