LONDON: Syria’s Interior Ministry said on Tuesday it was working with the relevant authorities to establish the circumstances surrounding Jordanian airstrikes in Daraa province, stressing that efforts to secure the border must not endanger civilians. The strikes on Monday evening killed seven civilians, including three children, and wounded several others, the Syrian Arab News Agency reported. Interior Ministry spokesperson Nour Al-Din Al-Baba said in a post on X that protecting civilians remained a priority as the ministry worked to combat terrorism, pursue drug traffickers and tackle cross-border crime. “Coordination between the two countries remains the best way to address border challenges without endangering innocent lives,” he said. Al-Baba also offered condolences to the families of those killed and wished the wounded a speedy recovery. His comments followed a condemnation from the Syrian Arab Republic’s Foreign Ministry, which said the strikes were carried out without prior coordination and violated Syrian sovereignty. The ministry said the incursion was incompatible with the two countries’ framework for cooperation. Damascus said it was coordinating directly with Jordan to establish a joint field and security committee to prevent further violations, protect lives and strengthen border security. Jordan’s military said on Monday it had struck sites belonging to “terrorist organizations” in southern Syria that it linked to an attack on Friday on mourners at Hamoud Church in Jordan’s southern Karak province. The attack killed nine people. As diplomatic contacts continued, Syria closed its Nasib border crossing with Jordan on Tuesday, suspending passenger and commercial traffic in both directions, according to the General Authority for Ports and Customs. The authority cited “current conditions and developments on the ground” in Daraa, saying the closure was intended to protect travelers and crossing staff. The strikes came after Jordanian security forces arrested three suspects in the church attack following a shootout in Karak earlier on Monday. All three suspects were wounded, but no security personnel were injured, Jordan’s Public Security Directorate said.