Jordan strikes Syria targets after deadly Karak church attack
Jordan's air force says it hit armed groups in Syria after a church attack in Karak killed nine; Syria reports civilian deaths and shuts the Nassib crossing.
The story in focus
Jordan's air force said it struck armed groups in Syria in retaliation for Friday's attack on a Greek Orthodox church in Karak that killed nine people. Syrian state media reported at least five civilians killed in Daraa, and Syria's government disputed Jordan's account of coordination, closing the Nassib border crossing.
- Jordan's air force said strikes killed and wounded members of 'terrorist groups' and destroyed vehicles, without naming them or giving a precise location.
- Syria's Daraa health director told state agency Sana at least five civilians were killed, including women, children and a 65-year-old man.
- Jordan said the operation was coordinated with Damascus; Syria's government gave a contradictory account and said it had opened an investigation.
- Syria closed the Nassib crossing, Jordan's only passenger and commercial border point with Syria, suspending traffic both ways.
- Three Jordanian men were arrested after a dawn shootout over the Karak attack, which wounded more than two dozen people.
Strikes and competing accounts
Jordan's air force said it carried out airstrikes against armed groups in Syria in retaliation for Friday's attack on a Greek Orthodox church in Karak, which killed nine people. It said the operation killed and wounded many members of the groups and destroyed vehicles, but did not identify them or give the strikes' precise location.
Syrian state media reported civilian deaths. The health director of Daraa province told the national news agency Sana that at least five civilians were killed, including women, 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, saying it had launched an investigation into the Jordanian attacks and stressing the importance of field and security coordination in border areas. Syria then closed the Nassib crossing with Jordan, suspending traffic in both directions; it is Jordan's only passenger and commercial border point with Syria.
Arrests in Jordan
Earlier on Monday, Jordanian authorities arrested three Jordanian men over the church attack, which also wounded more than two dozen people. The arrests followed a dawn shootout in Karak, and officials said all three men were wounded.
The Public Security Directorate identified them as brothers Hazzah Zaidan Mohammad and Mishal Zaidan Mohammad, and their brother-in-law Ahmad Sami Hussein. Its chief described the gunmen as takfiri, a term for Sunni militants, but said they were not tied to an organised group and represented only themselves. He said a large cache of munitions was found in the abandoned house where they were detained.
The attack struck the church during a funeral in Karak, about 90km south of Amman, a city with a minority Christian population. Jordan declared three days of mourning. No group immediately claimed responsibility and the attackers' motive remained unknown.
What did Syria say about Jordan's airstrikes?
Syria's government disputed Jordan's account of coordination, said it had launched an investigation into the attacks, and closed the Nassib border crossing after state media reported at least five civilians killed in Daraa.
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