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Jordan stated late Monday that its air force targeted military hideouts in southern Syria after determining that suspects connected to the previous week’s deadly church attack were hiding there. The Jordanian armed forces reported that the operation in southeastern Syria was conducted in coordination with Damascus.
Clashing Accounts and Casualties
Syria presented a different version of events, announcing that it had initiated an investigation into the Jordanian air raids. A health official informed Syria’s state news agency that at least five civilians, including women and children, died due to the strikes executed by Jordan, as reported by Reuters.
Suspects Arrested in Karak Province
Earlier on Monday morning, Jordanian security personnel detained three men regarding the assault on the Hammoud Church that left nine individuals dead and 40 others wounded. Authorities explained that the apprehensions occurred after a dawn exchange of gunfire with the armed men, who were found concealing themselves within an abandoned dwelling in the Karak governorate, roughly 120 kilometers southwest of Amman, the capital.
All three alleged perpetrators suffered wounds during the raid, while Jordanian security personnel sustained no casualties. Jordanian Interior Minister Mazen Al-Faraya explained in a phone interview with the state broadcaster Al-Mamlaka that the security forces successfully completed their assignment by capturing the individuals responsible for the terrorist act.
He noted that the suspects offered fierce resistance before being subdued, sustained severe injuries, and were taken into custody. He further stated that three people were involved and identified shortly after the incident, with security services utilizing all available resources to locate them.
King Abdullah Demands Firm Action
Jordanian King Abdullah II had instructed officials to retaliate firmly against anyone attempting to threaten the unity of the Jordanian populace. In a Monday statement following the arrests, which victims’ relatives said provided some comfort, he emphasized that terrorists would not evade punishment and that proponents of divisive dark ideologies would face zero tolerance.
A relative who survived the assault told Al-Mamlaka that despite the deep tragedy, the developments lessened the sorrow for the families and the wider Jordanian public. No group has claimed responsibility for Friday’s assault, and the Public Security Directorate of Jordan has not publicly named the suspects or specified any links to Islamist militant groups, while attacks against Christian minorities remain highly unusual in the stable US-allied kingdom.
