Jordan airstrikes in Syria launched after Karak church attack killed nine
Jordan's air force launched airstrikes in Syria in retaliation for Friday's church attack in Karak that killed nine people, with Syrian state media reporting civilians among the dead in Daraa province.
Jordan airstrikes in Syria launched after Karak church attack killed nine
Strikes and what Jordan says they hit
The Jordan airstrikes in Syria were carried out in retaliation for the attack on a Greek Orthodox church in Karak on Friday that killed nine people, according to the country's air force.
- The air force said the operation killed and wounded many members of the militant groups targeted and destroyed a number of their vehicles.
- Jordan did not specify which groups were targeted or the precise location of the strikes.
Daraa casualties and Damascus's response
The strikes took place in the southern Syrian province of Daraa, where Syrian state media reported that civilians had been killed. The director of health in Daraa told the Syrian state news agency Sana that at least five civilians died, including women and children and a 65-year-old man.
Jordan's armed forces said the operation was conducted in coordination with Damascus. Syria's government gave a contradictory account, announcing an investigation into the Jordanian attacks while stressing the importance of field and security coordination in border areas.
After the strikes, Syria closed the Nassib border crossing with Jordan, suspending traffic in both directions. The crossing is Jordan's only passenger and commercial crossing with Syria.
Arrests over the Karak church attack
The church attack struck during a funeral in Karak, a town about 55 miles (90km) south of Amman with a minority Christian population, wounding more than two dozen people alongside the nine killed. On Monday, Jordanian authorities arrested three men for the attack after a dawn shootout in which all three were wounded.
Jordan's Public Security Directorate identified the men as brothers Hazzah Zaidan Mohammad and Mishal Zaidan Mohammad and their brother-in-law Ahmad Sami Hussein, all Jordanian nationals detained in Karak. The directorate's chief, Maj Gen Obaidallah Abd Rabbo Al-Maayta, described the gunmen as takfiri but not tied to any organised group.
"They only represent themselves."
Al-Maayta told a news conference that a large cache of munitions was found in the abandoned house where Jordanian forces apprehended the men.
Official and family reactions
King Abdullah II ordered authorities to respond with "an iron fist" against what he called the outlaws of Islam. In a statement on Monday, the king said: "We vowed the terrorists would not escape punishment, and no proponent of dark ideologies that divide Jordanians will be tolerated."
Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya said the attack by the three men was the result of "a terroristic, extremist way of thinking" and warned that such incidents would recur if not resolved.
Survivors and relatives of the victims welcomed the arrests. Khaled al-Borqan, a survivor and relative of three victims, told Al-Mamlaka that what happened eased the grief of the families and the Jordanian people. Fares Halaseh, an uncle of a victim and a survivor himself, said: "Despite the sadness and pain, the news brought us joy," while adding: "We will not forget this agony for years to come."
Jordan declared three days of mourning for the victims. No group claimed responsibility for the attack, and the attackers' motive remained unknown. Meanwhile, Syria kept the Nassib crossing closed, with traffic suspended in both directions.
