Syria–Jordan: Damascus announces coordination on a border committee
Syria’s foreign ministry condemns the strikes and reports work towards a joint committee. Its establishment or operation has not yet been confirmed.
Updated 27.10.2026 · 14:09, Athens time — What changed
Syria’s Foreign Ministry announced through the official SANA agency on 27 October that it was coordinating directly with Jordan to establish an urgent joint field and border-security committee. It says the aims include preventing further incidents and protecting the shared border.
It also condemns the Jordanian strikes in Daraa and repeats that they occurred without prior coordination, a position differing from the earlier Jordanian claim. This is an announcement by Damascus, not independent verification of events or a joint communique.
No membership, meeting date or operational start is announced. The new statement does not change the casualty reports retained below or confirm reopening of Nasib.
Earlier updates — history
Updated 27.10.2026 · 09:00, Athens time — What changed
Daraa’s health director now reports seven dead and three injured to SANA following the Jordanian strikes on Monday 26 October. He says those killed were three children, a woman and three men, while two men and a child were injured. This updates the Syrian health authority’s earlier report of five deaths; it is not an independently finalised toll.
ERT’s newer report, published at 08:03 on 27 October, reports six deaths in Daraa and separately one in Suwayda, citing Syrian sources. Its earlier report of eight dead and four injured is retained only in the history below. These reports cover different locations and times; they are not added together or treated as a common final toll.
Nasib crossing closed on 27 October
Syria’s General Authority for Border Crossings and Customs, in an announcement reported by SANA, suspended passenger and commercial traffic through Nasib in both directions between Syria and Jordan for Tuesday 27 October 2026, citing the safety of travellers and personnel after the Daraa strikes.
The announcement concerns this crossing and this date; it provides no precise reopening time. Damascus’s earlier denial of coordination with Jordan remains separate from the contrary Jordanian claim.
Earlier updates — history
Updated 27.10.2026 · 02:02, Athens time — What changed
The Syrian government denies prior coordination or notification of the Jordanian air strikes in southern Syria. Its official statement, published by SANA on 27 October, announces an investigation and direct communication channels with Amman.
This contradicts the Jordan Armed Forces statement, which claimed coordination with the Syrian government and was presented in the previous update as a Jordanian claim. Neither position is treated here as an independently established conclusion.
Differing casualty reports
Daraa Health Director Khaled al-Amyan tells SANA that five civilians were killed, including women, children and an elderly man. He also reports two injured people from al-Muzayrib transferred to Tafs Hospital. The Syrian government’s statement mentions casualties without a numerical toll.
ERT reports a different toll of eight dead and four injured, with three children among those killed, citing ANA-MPA, Reuters and AFP. The discrepancy is flagged; no single final count is adopted and the reports are not added together. Jordan’s target claims and Syrian reports of civilian casualties remain clearly attributed to their respective sources.
Earlier updates — history
Updated 26.10.2026 · 23:58, Athens time — What changed
Jordan’s armed forces announced air strikes in southern Syria on the evening of 26 October 2026, linking the operation to the church attack in Hmoud, Karak Governorate. The official Petra agency published the full military statement at 22:34:44, as displayed on its page.
What the military statement claims
The armed forces call the operation “Jordanian Deterrence - Hmoud” and say it was conducted in coordination with the Syrian government. They describe the targets as terrorist-organisation hideouts and claim the Karak attackers were connected to those organisations.
The statement reports destroyed positions and equipment and deaths and injuries among members of the organisations, without specifying casualty numbers, organisation names or exact locations. Target descriptions, alleged connections and casualty claims are attributed to Jordan’s armed forces; they are not presented as independently verified findings by this newspaper. Coordination is also a Jordanian claim and does not amount to separate Syrian confirmation.
This is a new military development following the earlier announcement of three arrests. Investigations and proceedings involving the suspects remain distinct from claims about the targets in Syria. Earlier updates follow as history.
Earlier updates — history
Updated 26.10.2026 · 21:08, Athens time — What changed
Jordanian authorities have arrested three suspects over the church attack in Hamoud, Karak Governorate, the Public Security Director announced on 26 October 2026 at a joint press conference with government ministers. Petra’s complete official report confirms the development, also reported by Reuters.
According to the security chief, a raid team came under fire while searching an abandoned house. The ensuing operation led to the arrest of the three suspects, who were injured and taken to hospital. Authorities report seizing weapons and ammunition, with no casualties among the participating security forces.
The ministers and Public Security Directorate stress that investigations are continuing, with technical evidence being gathered and the case file being prepared for the judiciary. References to extremist ideology are the authorities’ assessments; arrest does not constitute conviction.
This update focuses on the arrests and continuing investigation. Earlier announcements on hospital treatment and discharges remain below as history and are not added together.
Earlier updates — history
Updated 24.10.2026 · 22:03, Athens time — What changed
Three injured patients were discharged from Karak Government Hospital on Saturday evening, 24 October 2026, according to its director, Dr Ali Sarayreh. The official Petra news agency published his statement at 21:25.
The director said their conditions had stabilised and medical staff had confirmed they were fit to leave. Two other patients remain under medical care at that hospital until their conditions stabilise.
The figures concern Karak Government Hospital only, not all hospitals treating the injured. We do not calculate a new overall hospital count by subtracting these discharges from earlier records. The statement does not revise the latest confirmed toll of nine deaths.
Earlier updates — history
Updated 24.10.2026 · 18:02, Athens time — What changed
The death toll from the Karak attack has risen to nine, according to a new announcement by Jordan’s Public Security Directorate, published by the official Petra news agency on 24 October 2026 at 17:30.
The directorate says another injured person has died from their injuries. The new toll replaces the eight deaths reported in the previous update.
The brief announcement provides no new hospital breakdown and does not identify the patient. Earlier reports of 27 people receiving hospital care and two critically ill patients remain historical; they are not used to calculate a current patient or discharge count.
Earlier updates — history
Updated 24.10.2026 · 12:07, Athens time — What changed
The death toll from the attack on a church in Hmoud village, Karak governorate, has risen to eight, according to the director of Prince Ali Military Hospital. The official Petra news agency published the statement on 24 October 2026 at 11:06.
The director announced that one of the two patients who had been in critical condition died from their injuries. Both had undergone major surgery and had been placed on artificial respiration under intensive medical supervision before the death, he said.
The announcement supersedes the earlier death toll of seven. It provides no new complete breakdown of hospitalised patients by hospital. The 09:58 update reporting 27 patients receiving care is retained below as a historical update, rather than presented as a new count after the death.
Earlier updates — history
Updated 24.10.2026 · 11:08, Athens time — What changed
27 injured patients are still receiving hospital treatment after the Karak attack, according to a new statement by Jordan’s health minister, published by the official Petra news agency on 24 October 2026 at 09:58.
Of these, two remain in critical condition at Prince Ali bin Al-Hussein Military Hospital. The others are described as stable. The minister provided the following breakdown:
- Karak Governmental Hospital: 5 patients, all stable.
- Prince Ali bin Al-Hussein Military Hospital in Karak: 8 patients, including two in critical condition.
- Al-Hussein Medical City: 8 patients, all stable.
- Al-Bashir Hospitals: 3 patients, all stable.
- Italian Hospital in Karak: 3 patients, all stable.
The figure of 27 concerns those still receiving hospital care, rather than a new total number of people injured. It does not replace the count of 40 injured reported on 23 October. The new statement announces no additional deaths or detailed count of hospital discharges.
The minister said medical and nursing staff continue to treat patients and monitor their condition.
Earlier updates — history
Updated 24.10.2026 · 00:06, Athens time — What changed
Jordanian Health Minister Ibrahim Bdour revised the number of people injured in the Karak attack to 40, in a briefing reported by the official Petra agency on 23 October 2026 at 23:06. The death toll remains seven. The new figure replaces the previous count of 34 injured.
The minister said two injured people were in critical condition and undergoing surgery at Prince Ali Military Hospital. The others were stable. Transfers between hospitals concern patients included in the same overall toll.
The Prime Ministry announced three days of national mourning from Friday 23 October, with flags at public bodies at half-mast. That announcement does not specify school or business closures.
Earlier updates — history
The latest official toll from the armed attack during a funeral in Jordan’s Karak governorate on Friday 23 October 2026 is 7 dead and 34 injured.
The figures were given by the Public Security Director, according to a breaking update issued by Jordan’s official news agency Petra at 18:00. They replace the directorate’s earlier statement reporting 6 dead and 28 injured. These successive tolls concern the same incident and must not be added together.
Attack during a funeral
ERTnews, carrying information from AMNA, reports that the attack took place at a Greek Orthodox church in Hamoud village in Karak governorate. Reuters’ accessible report confirms the attack during the funeral, citing state broadcaster Al-Mamlaka, with an earlier toll.
The Public Security Directorate said investigations were proceeding intensively and that findings would be announced when available.
The authorities’ characterisation and the investigation
The interior minister described those responsible as “terrorists”, while King Abdullah II condemned the attack and offered condolences to the families. These are statements by the Jordanian authorities. The official updates reviewed do not provide a published investigative finding establishing the motive or the perpetrators’ identities.
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