Jordan strikes targets in Syria after deadly assault on Karak church

Jordanian military aircraft have launched strikes on targets in Syria following a deadly assault on a Christian place of worship in the southern city of Karak, military officials announced.

The retaliatory strikes targeted armed factions connected to the church shooting that killed nine people and injured over two dozen others, according to a statement from the Jordanian air force. Military officials stated that the bombardment killed and wounded multiple members of armed extremist groups while destroying several vehicles, though they did not reveal the specific targets or exact coordinates of the mission.

Contrasting accounts have emerged regarding the aftermath on the ground. Syrian state media reported that the bombardment hit locations in the southern region of Daraa. A local provincial health director informed the state news agency, Sana, that minimum five civilians were killed during the raids, including a 65-year-old man alongside women and children.

Disputes over operational coordination have also strained ties between the two capitals. While Jordanian armed forces claimed the air mission was carried out in cooperation with authorities in Damascus, the Syrian government disputed that version of events. Syrian officials announced an official inquiry into the incident, highlighted the necessity of prior operational communication along frontier zones, and shut down traffic across the Nassib border crossing, which serves as the primary conduit for travelers and commercial goods between the two nations.

The air raids followed a raid earlier on Monday in which Jordanian security forces captured three wounded suspects following an early morning exchange of gunfire in Karak. Authorities identified the detainees as Jordanian nationals: brothers Hazzah Zaidan Mohammad and Mishal Zaidan Mohammad, along with their relative Ahmad Sami Hussein.

The assault took place on Friday during a funeral service at a Greek Orthodox church in Karak, situated around 55 miles south of Amman. Following the incident, Jordan observed three days of national mourning.

Public Security Directorate head Maj. Gen. Obaidallah Abd Rabbo Al-Maayta characterized the perpetrators as holding hardline takfiri views while noting they appeared to act independently rather than on behalf of an established extremist organization. Security personnel also uncovered an extensive weapons stockpile inside the deserted building where the suspects were captured. Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya cautioned that the killings stemmed from extremist ideology that poses continuing dangers if left unchecked.

Jordan's King Abdullah II pledged to confront those responsible forcefully, declaring that individuals advancing divisive beliefs would face justice. Family members of those who died expressed solace following the arrests, while noting that the community will carry the memory of the tragedy for a long time.