Jordan acknowledges Syrian civilian deaths in strikes it says killed IS extremists

On Tuesday, Jordan announced that its airstrikes in Syria had killed approximately 20 members of the extremist Islamic State group, but also admitted that civilians were among the casualties. The Hashemite Kingdom conducted airstrikes in response to last week's attacks on a Greek Orthodox Church funeral in Karak, which resulted in the deaths of nine people.

Jordanian government spokesperson Mohammad al-Momani provided the figures of 20 militants killed, whereas Syria's civil defense claimed to have recovered the bodies of only seven civilians killed in the strikes in southern Daraa and Sweida provinces. Five of the deceased were a family, including three children and a woman, while two men were elderly.

Syria's government stated that the airstrikes were conducted without prior coordination or notification. Despite the disagreement on the casualty count, both Damascus and Amman claimed to be in communication and following up on the incident. Syria's Foreign Ministry condemned the strikes, calling them an "unacceptable violation and encroachment" of Syrian airspace.

However, both countries' leaders have agreed to strengthen security coordination to prevent any efforts to destabilize the countries and prevent further loss of life. Jordanian government spokesperson al-Momani expressed regret over the civilian casualties, stating that the attacks were based on intelligence regarding "confirmed threats and planned terrorist acts against Jordan."