The Jordanian Air Force carried out airstrikes in Syria overnight on Monday, targeting terrorists in the wake of an attack on a church in Karak, Jordan. Jordanian security forces also raided a building and detained several suspects in the kingdom.
On Tuesday, the Syrian government issued an official statement about the recent airstrikes executed by Jordan in southern Syria, saying they “resulted in several casualties, including women and children.” Syrians are in mourning.
They are also angry over reports that up to seven civilians were killed in the airstrike. Levant24, a Syrian channel, showed a flag at half-mast in the wake of the attack. Many feel that their country is too often targeted by airstrikes without any accountability.
They have also been protesting over the past week against Israeli raids in southern Syria, in which a civilian was reported killed.
Initial reports from Syrian state media SANA say five civilians were killed by Jordan. “Five civilians, including women, children, and an elderly man, were killed in Jordanian airstrikes that targeted several sites in the Daraa countryside, Daraa Health Director Khaled al-Amyan told SANA on Monday.” Al-Amyan identified the man as a 65-year-old man from the Sad Road area in Daraa city, who was taken to Daraa National Hospital and died of shrapnel wounds from the airstrike.
At least seven killed in strikes
SANA went on to quote the health director as saying that two wounded people in Al-Muzayrib town in the western Daraa countryside had been transferred to Tafs National Hospital for treatment. Jordan’s military said its air force targeted “terrorist hideouts” in southern Syria.
There are currently many questions in Damascus about the strikes that occurred. While Jordan said that there was coordination with Syria, the Syrian government insisted that “the operation was not coordinated with Damascus in advance,” and it announced that an investigation was underway “while opening communication channels with Amman.”
Syria’s government has expressed solidarity with the victims and hopes for their full recovery. It confirmed that “relevant national authorities are closely monitoring the situation to assess the needs of the affected population and provide immediate required support and humanitarian relief.”
Syria has begun an investigation. Al-Arabiya reported that Amman said it will expand coordination with Damascus in the wake of the incident: “Simultaneously, Syria has opened direct channels of communication with officials in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to review the incident.”
“The Syrian government underscored the imperative of joint field and security coordination regarding any actions along the border region, emphasizing the need to uphold the sovereignty of the Syrian Arab Republic and preserve the security and stability of both brotherly nations,” the report added.
Jordanian airstrikes highlight risks of civilian casualties despite precision weapons
The attacks by Jordan illustrate the complex challenges militaries face in using air power to fight terrorists despite intelligence gathering and the use of precision weapons. Such weapons provide the illusion that pinpoint strikes will always reach their intended targets, yet it is always possible that those same precision munitions can end up killing civilians.
This has been a challenge in many recent conflicts in the region. The United States is investigating the bombing of a girls’ school in Iran in February 2026, which killed hundreds.
There were also several incidents of civilians being killed in Gaza. In one case, aid workers of the NGO World Central Kitchen were killed in several precision strikes on a land vehicle convoy.
The question about the strikes in Syria will now shift to what went wrong.
There are also questions about the links between the terrorists who attacked the church and the sites targeted in Syria. Is there a growing danger of ISIS or other terrorist groups in Dara’a in southern Syria? If so, what is the plan for Jordan, Syria, or even Israel to confront this challenge? In the wake of the incidents overnight between Monday and Tuesday, these questions remain pertinent.