Jordan Bombs Syrian Targets After Killing in Karak Church

Jordanian forces struck targets in Syria on Monday in retaliation for a Friday attack on a Greek Orthodox church in Karak that left nine people dead. The air force announced the operation resulted in the killing and wounding of numerous militant fighters and destroyed several vehicles, though it did not specify the exact location of the strikes or the identity of the groups targeted.

Syrian state media reported civilian casualties in the southern province of Daraa, where the airstrikes took place. The health director for the region told Sana, the national news agency, that at least five civilians were killed, including women, children, and a 65-year-old man. Syria’s government said it launched an investigation into the Jordanian attacks, a stance that contradicted the Jordanian claim of coordination with Damascus.

Earlier in the day, Jordanian authorities arrested three men connected to the Karak attack, which also wounded more than two dozen people. The suspects were taken into custody during a dawn shootout in Karak, located about 55 miles south of Amman. All three men were wounded during the operation. The Public Security Directorate identified them as brothers Hazzah Zaidan Mohammad and Mishal Zaidan Mohammad, along with their brother-in-law, Ahmad Sami Hussein.

Maj Gen Obaidallah Abd Rabbo Al-Maayta, the head of the security agency, described the gunmen as takfiri, a term for Sunni militants, but stated they were not linked to any organized group. He noted that a large cache of munitions was found in the abandoned house where the men were apprehended. Al-Maayta told reporters at a news conference that the three men only represented themselves.

Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya attributed the attack to a terroristic and extremist mindset. He warned that similar incidents would recur if that way of thinking was not resolved. King Abdullah II had previously ordered a forceful response against what he called the outlaws of Islam, stating that no proponent of dark ideologies that divide the population would be tolerated.

The attack occurred during a funeral service at the church in Karak, a city with a minority Christian population. The incident prompted the nation to declare three days of mourning. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the shooting, and the specific motive remained unknown to investigators.

Relatives of the victims said the arrests provided some measure of relief. Khaled al-Borqan, a survivor and relative of three of the victims, told Al-Mamlaka that the news eased the grief of the Jordanian people. Fares Halaseh, an uncle of a victim and another survivor, said the arrests brought joy despite the ongoing pain. He added that the family would not forget the agony for years to come.