Jordan Strikes in Southern Syria Leave 7 Civilians Dead
In a retaliatory airstrike, Jordan targets Syrian militants following a deadly church attack, resulting in civilian casualties.
Jordan's airstrikes in Syria killed at least seven civilians, including children.
The strikes were in response to a church attack in Karak that killed nine.
Jordanian authorities arrested three suspects linked to the church attack.
On Tuesday, Jordan executed airstrikes against armed factions in southern Syria, leading to the reported deaths of seven civilians. This military action was a direct response to a tragic incident last week in which a Greek Orthodox Church in Karak, Jordan, was attacked, resulting in nine fatalities during a funeral service.
The Syrian civil defense agency confirmed that among the deceased were five members of a single family, including three children and a woman, who perished when a strike hit their tent in rural Daraa. Additionally, two elderly men, aged 80 and 60, were killed in separate strikes. The strikes also resulted in injuries to three other family members, highlighting the tragic impact on civilian lives.
Jordan's air force reported that the operation not only inflicted casualties on the targeted groups but also destroyed multiple vehicles. However, the specific groups targeted and the precise locations of the strikes were not disclosed. The Syrian government criticized the airstrikes, stating they were conducted without prior coordination and announced the closure of its main border crossing with Jordan in response to the incident.
The airstrikes followed a gun attack on a Greek Orthodox Church in Karak on Friday, which left nine individuals dead and over two dozen injured. The attack occurred during a funeral, approximately 90 kilometers south of Amman. In connection with this attack, Jordanian authorities arrested three men, identified as brothers Hazzah and Mishal Zaidan Mohammad, along with their brother-in-law Ahmad Sami Hussein. All three suspects were wounded during their apprehension.
Jordan's Interior Minister Mazen Al-Faraya attributed the church attack to extremist ideologies, emphasizing the need to address such thinking to prevent future incidents. King Abdullah II has called for a strong response against those responsible, asserting that the perpetrators will face justice and that ideologies threatening national unity will not be tolerated.
