Jordan bombs Syria after deadly church attack

Jordan carried out airstrikes on what it described as terrorist sites in neighboring Syria on Monday, following a deadly attack on a Christian church last week. The Syrian government condemned the operation.

According to the Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF), fighter jets targeted “hideouts of terrorist organizations in southern Syria.” It added that “several terrorists” were killed or wounded and unspecified equipment was destroyed.

Although the RJAF claimed it acted in coordination with the Syrian authorities, the government in Damascus denied that it received advance notice of the strikes. The Syrian Foreign Ministry said it informed Jordan of its “objections to operations on Syrian territory without prior coordination.”

Khaled al-Omeian, the director of health in Syria’s Daraa province, told SANA that seven civilians, including three children, were killed in the strikes and three others were injured.

“We affirm our support for the affected Syrian families and our full solidarity with them in this tragedy,” the Syrian government said in a statement.

Jordan vowed retaliation after gunmen opened fire on mourners attending a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in Hamoud, Karak Governorate, Jordan on Friday, killing nine people and wounding more than 40.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Jordanian police arrested three suspects during a raid on a compound in Hamoud. Roya News, citing a source, reported that one of the suspects is in critical condition following a shootout with police.

The Jordanian authorities described the suspects as “extremists” with links to unspecified groups based in Syria.

Jordan and Syria share a long border plagued by arms and drug smuggling, particularly the trafficking of Captagon. Jordan has repeatedly carried out airstrikes in southern Syria against suspected smuggling networks and militant groups, raising tensions with Damascus over violations of Syrian sovereignty.

Jordan has faced a persistent threat from Islamist militants, although major terrorist attacks are rare. In 2016, ISIS-linked gunmen killed ten people in Karak. The Jordanian authorities say they have foiled several Islamist militant plots in recent years.