Syria’s General Authority for Ports and Customs closed the Nasib border crossing with Jordan on Monday, suspending passenger and commercial traffic in both directions until further notice due to security developments in Daraa province. The shutdown follows a series of Jordanian airstrikes in southern Syria that Syrian officials reported killed seven people and wounded three others.
The Jordanian armed forces confirmed executing the air operation, named “Jordanian Deterrence – Hmoud,” targeting sites and vehicles belonging to terrorist groups in southern Syria. Amman stated that the strikes were carried out in retaliation for a Friday attack targeting a Greek Orthodox church funeral in Hmoud village, located in Jordan’s Karak province. That attack resulted in 9 deaths and left at least 34 people injured, according to figures reported by Reuters.
Daraa Health Director Khaled Al-Omaian told Syrian state news agency SANA that the Jordanian strikes hit locations in the Al-Taff area of Al-Masmiyah, as well as the outskirts of Nasib and Al-Muzayrib. Damascus stressed that the military operation was conducted without prior coordination. Syria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates formally notified Jordan of its complete reservation regarding unauthorized military strikes inside Syrian territory.
Separately, Jordan’s Public Security Directorate announced on Monday the arrest of three suspects connected to the Karak church attack. Security forces raided an abandoned house in the Al-Jadida area of Karak province, where the suspects fired upon officers before being wounded and apprehended. No security personnel were injured. Investigations are ongoing, and no group has yet claimed responsibility for the church attack.
Sources: skynewsarabia.com
