Jordan strikes Syria after church attack as Damascus reports civilian deaths

Jordan said its air force struck what it described as terrorist hideouts in southern Syria on Monday in retaliation for an October 23 attack on St. George’s Greek Orthodox Church in Karak governorate. Nine people were killed and roughly 34 to 40 wounded when gunmen opened fire during a funeral.

Jordan’s armed forces said the Syrian targets were linked to the church attack and that the operation, conducted in coordination with Damascus, killed or wounded militants and destroyed vehicles. It did not identify the groups or give precise strike locations.

Syria disputed Jordan’s account of coordination and said it had opened an investigation. A health official in Daraa told Syrian state media that at least five civilians, including women and children, were killed. Relatives of people killed in the strikes denied that the victims had links to the church attack, Al Jazeera reported. Syria subsequently closed the Nassib border crossing, its main passenger and commercial crossing with Jordan.

Earlier Monday, Jordanian forces arrested three wounded suspects after a shootout at an abandoned house in Karak. Authorities identified them as two brothers and their brother-in-law, all Jordanian citizens. Jordan’s security chief described the men as adherents of extremist ideology but said they were not affiliated with an organized group. No organization has claimed responsibility for the church shooting, and authorities said they found a large cache of ammunition at the suspects’ hideout.

King Abdullah II had promised an “iron fist” response, while Jordan declared three days of national mourning. India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore were among the countries that condemned the church attack and offered condolences.