The Jordanian Air Force carried out strikes on suspected militant hideouts in southern Syria following an attack on a Christian church that killed 9 people. The Syrian side reported the deaths of 5 civilians, including women and children. Reuters reported this, UNN writes.
Details
The Jordanian military said it had established links between those suspected of attacking the church and terrorist groups operating in Syria. According to them, the air operation was carried out in coordination with Damascus.
However, the Syrian government presented a different position. Damascus announced the launch of an investigation into the airstrikes and stressed the need to coordinate military actions in border areas.
What is known about the church attack
On Friday, armed attackers opened fire during a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in the village of Hamoud, approximately 120 km from Jordan's capital, Amman.
The shooting killed 9 people and injured at least 34 others. Witnesses said the attackers fired for several minutes.
On Monday, Jordanian security forces detained three suspects—two brothers and their brother-in-law. The men were hiding in an abandoned building and opened fire on law enforcement officers when they tried to detain them. All three were wounded during the exchange of fire and taken into custody.
After the attack, King Abdullah II of Jordan ordered security forces to take a tough stance against terrorist threats.
Meanwhile, no group has yet claimed responsibility for the shooting at the church. Jordanian authorities continue their investigation, while the circumstances and consequences of the airstrikes on Syria are still being clarified.