Syria shuts border crossing with Jordan after strikes

Jordan said on Monday its air force struck what it described as militant hideouts in southern Syria after determining that the suspects behind last week's deadly church attack in the kingdom were linked to "terrorist groups" operating there. The armed forces said the operation was conducted in coordination with Damascus. Syria's government gave a contradictory account, saying it had launched an investigation into the Jordanian attacks, and stressed in a statement the importance of field and security coordination in border areas. Damascus informed Jordan of its "complete reservation" over the strikes without prior coordination, the foreign ministry said in a statement. Seven people, including three children and a woman, were killed and three others were wounded in the Jordanian strikes, the Syrian Civil Defence said in a preliminary report. It said emergency teams responded to four sites hit by the strikes in the countryside of Daraa and Sweida provinces. There was no immediate comment from Jordan on that account. Shortly after the strikes, Syria closed the Nassib border crossing with Jordan on Tuesday, suspending passenger and commercial traffic in both directions, citing developments on the ground in Daraa province, the Syrian General Authority for Border Crossings and Customs said in a statement. Nassib is Jordan's only...