Jordan strikes southern Syria over church attack; Syria closes main border crossing

Jordan's armed forces said fighter jets struck hideouts of armed groups in southern Syria on Monday evening in retaliation for Friday's shooting at a Greek Orthodox church funeral in Karak, which killed nine people. Jordan said the strikes killed and wounded several militants and were carried out in coordination with the Syrian government.

Syria disputed that, saying the operation took place without prior coordination or notification. Syrian officials said civilians were among the dead: Syria's Civil Defence said it recovered seven bodies, including three children, Al Jazeera reported, while the BBC cited an earlier figure of five from health officials. Syria then closed the Nassib crossing to passenger and commercial traffic in both directions.

Why it matters: The strikes and the border closure strain ties between two neighbours that have cooperated on border security and smuggling, and they cut the main land trade link between them.