Syria has closed the Nassib border crossing with Jordan, suspending all passenger and commercial traffic in both directions, a day after Jordanian airstrikes hit targets in southern Syria. The crossing, known as Jaber on the Jordanian side, is Jordan’s only passenger and commercial border crossing with Syria, and Syrian authorities have given no date for reopening it.
What happened
Syria’s General Authority for Border Crossings and Customs announced on Tuesday, October 27, that the Nassib crossing would close because of developments on the ground in Daraa province. The statement said the suspension covers travellers and trade completely, in both directions, and cited the safety of travellers and staff at the crossing.
The closure followed Jordanian airstrikes on Monday against what Jordan’s armed forces described as militant hideouts in southern Syria. Jordan said the strikes were a response to a deadly attack on a church in Jordan last week. Syria, by contrast, said it had launched an investigation into the strikes and objected to military action it said was not coordinated with Damascus in advance.
The church attack that triggered the strikes
On Friday, gunmen opened fire during a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in the village of Hamoud, about 120 kilometres southwest of the Jordanian capital, Amman, in Karak governorate. Nine people were killed and at least 34 others were wounded, according to Reuters reporting of the attack.
Jordanian security forces arrested three suspects on Monday after a shootout at an abandoned house in the Karak area. Officials said the three men refused to surrender, opened fire on security forces, and were wounded before being arrested. No security personnel were injured, and officials said firearms and ammunition were recovered. No group has claimed responsibility for the church attack.
Jordan’s Director of Public Security, Major-General Obeidallah al-Maaytah, said the investigation was still open, and Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya said there were, as of Monday, no indications of links between the suspects and other cells. King Abdullah II ordered security forces to respond with an iron fist after the attack, and visited victims receiving treatment in hospital.
The coordination dispute
The two governments give directly conflicting accounts of whether the airstrikes were coordinated. Jordan’s armed forces said the operation was conducted in coordination with Damascus. Syria’s foreign ministry said Damascus had informed Jordan of its complete reservation over strikes carried out without prior coordination, and stressed the importance of field and security coordination in border areas.
That dispute matters because it now shapes the diplomatic fallout. A border closure announced in protest at uncoordinated strikes is a different signal from a closure agreed jointly for security reasons, and neither government has yet said what would need to change for the crossing to reopen.
Why the casualty figures differ
Readers will see different death tolls for Monday’s strikes, and they should not be treated as a single settled figure. The Syrian Civil Defense said in a preliminary report that seven people, including three children and a woman, were killed and three others were wounded, with emergency teams responding to four sites in the countryside of Daraa and Sweida provinces. Syria’s state news agency, citing a local health official, reported five civilians killed in Daraa province, while other outlets reported eight or ten deaths.
The figures come from different sources, cover different areas, and were published at different stages of the response. Until an updated official count is released, the honest position is that the toll is disputed, that civilians including women and children are reported among the dead, and that Jordan has not commented on the Syrian casualty accounts.
Why Nassib matters
Nassib is not a minor checkpoint. It is the main overland route between Syria and Jordan for passengers, trucks and trade, and for goods transiting to other regional markets. Closing it in both directions halts cross-border movement entirely rather than restricting it in one direction, which affects travellers, traders and transport operators on both sides at once.
The closure also lands in a tense regional week. It comes a day after separate regional security talks in Tehran involving officials from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey, a reminder that Middle East security diplomacy is moving on several tracks at once, and not always in the same direction.
Timeline
Friday, October 23: Gunmen attack a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in Hamoud, Karak governorate, Jordan. Nine people are killed and at least 34 wounded.
Monday, October 26: Jordanian security forces arrest three suspects after a shootout in the Karak area. Later on Monday, Jordanian jets strike targets in southern Syria that Jordan describes as militant hideouts.
Monday, October 26: Syria says it is investigating the strikes and objects to action taken without prior coordination. Jordan says the operation was coordinated with Damascus.
Tuesday, October 27: Syria announces the closure of the Nassib border crossing with Jordan, suspending passenger and commercial traffic in both directions. No reopening date is given.
What happens next
Three questions will decide how long this lasts. First, whether Jordan and Syria can agree on a shared account of the strikes and on coordination for any further action. Second, whether the security situation in Daraa stabilises enough for Syrian authorities to judge the crossing safe to reopen. Third, whether travellers and traders are given advance notice before any reopening, rather than learning of it after arriving at a closed border.
For now, anyone planning to cross between Syria and Jordan should assume the Nassib crossing is closed, check for an updated statement from the Syrian border authority before travelling, and not rely on a single casualty figure or reopening rumour from social media.
Frequently asked questions
Why did Syria close the Nassib border crossing? Syria’s border authority cited developments on the ground in Daraa province and the safety of travellers and staff, a day after Jordanian airstrikes in southern Syria that Damascus said were not coordinated in advance.
Is the Nassib crossing closed in both directions? Yes. The Syrian announcement suspends passenger and commercial traffic completely, in both directions, between Syria and Jordan.
What is the Nassib crossing called on the Jordanian side? It is known as Jaber on the Jordanian side, and it is Jordan’s only passenger and commercial border crossing with Syria.
How many people were killed in the Jordanian airstrikes? The toll is disputed. The Syrian Civil Defense reported seven killed in a preliminary count, Syria’s state news agency cited a health official reporting five civilians killed, and other outlets reported eight or ten deaths. No single updated official figure has settled the count.
When will the Nassib crossing reopen? No reopening date has been announced. The Syrian border authority said it would continue to monitor developments and take the measures needed to ensure safety.
What triggered the Jordanian airstrikes? Jordan said the strikes targeted militant hideouts linked to the suspects behind a church attack in Karak governorate on Friday, in which nine people were killed. Syrian officials dispute the coordination of the strikes, and no group has claimed responsibility for the church attack.
Related coverage
The closure is the latest strain on Middle East border security — see the World section for more international coverage, and read about the separate regional security talks in Tehran for the wider diplomatic context.