Jordan Strikes Syria After Deadly Church Attack in Karak

Jordan launched airstrikes against alleged armed-group positions in southern Syria on Monday, October 26, following a deadly shooting at a Greek Orthodox church in Karak that killed nine people and wounded at least 34. Syrian authorities reported civilian deaths in Daraa and Suweyda provinces, while the cross-border military operation triggered the closure of the main crossing between the two countries.

Jordan's Armed Forces said the strikes targeted hideouts belonging to armed groups in southeastern Syria in retaliation for Friday's attack on mourners attending a funeral at St. George's Church in the village of Hamoud, Karak governorate. The military said the operation was conducted in coordination with the Syrian government, a claim Damascus disputed.

Jordanian officials said the strikes killed and wounded several members of the targeted groups and destroyed vehicles. Syria's Civil Defence service reported that seven people had died across multiple locations, including three men, a woman and three children. Syrian health officials separately reported five deaths in a strike on a village in Daraa province.

According to Syria's Civil Defence service, five members of one family, including a man, a woman and three children, were killed when a tent in Al-Tai, Daraa province, was hit. Three other family members, including a child, were wounded. Separate strikes killed an 80-year-old man in Al Shayyah, Daraa, and a 60-year-old man in Shahba, Suweyda province. Another strike hit a residential building in Muzayrib without causing casualties.

The Syrian government rejected Jordan's account of prior coordination. In a statement, Damascus said the operation had been carried out without advance coordination or notification and announced an investigation into the strikes.

A Syrian Foreign Ministry official described the operation as a "treacherous attack" and told Al Jazeera that the ministry would seek to manage its consequences while preserving Syrian sovereignty.

Following the airstrikes, Syrian authorities closed the Nassib border crossing, suspending passenger and commercial traffic in both directions. The crossing is the only route between Jordan and Syria for passenger travel and commercial goods.

Syrian authorities said the closure was intended to protect travelers and workers at the crossing. They also said direct communication channels with Jordanian officials had been opened while investigations continued.

The strikes came hours after Jordanian security forces arrested three suspects in connection with the church shooting. Jordan's Interior Minister Mazin al-Farrayeh said the suspects were Jordanian nationals and had been identified shortly after the attack.

Jordan's Public Security Directorate said officers located the suspects in an abandoned house in al-Jadeeda, a village in Karak. The men allegedly refused to surrender and exchanged fire with security forces during a confrontation that lasted about three hours, according to a Jordanian government source cited by Al Jazeera.

Authorities identified the suspects as two brothers, Hazza and Mishal Zeidan Muhammad, and their relative Ahmed Sami Hussein. Public Security Director Major General Obaidullah al-Maaytah said the group belonged to one family. The suspects sustained serious injuries during the operation, and one was reported to be in critical condition. Security forces also recovered firearms and ammunition from the hideout.

Al-Farrayeh said the investigation into the church shooting remained open and that authorities would pursue everyone involved. Jordanian officials also said there was no indication that the arrested suspects were connected to other armed cells.

The shooting occurred on Friday when gunmen opened fire on mourners in the courtyard of St. George's Church during a funeral. Surveillance footage showed at least three gunmen approaching the church entrance and shooting, while an eyewitness told ABC News that a fourth person may have acted as the driver.

Jordan's King Abdullah II ordered a forceful response and called for a review of national security procedures. He said the safety of Jordanians was a "red line" and warned that those responsible would face severe penalties. Prime Minister Jafar Hassan declared three days of national mourning, beginning Friday, with flags lowered at government and public institutions.

The attack struck a community in Karak, where Christians form a significant minority in Jordan's predominantly Muslim population. Eight of the nine victims were buried in Karak on Sunday, with mourners gathering under heavy security as coffins draped in Jordanian flags were carried through the town.

Jordanian authorities said their investigation into the church attack was continuing as the consequences of the airstrikes widened to include disrupted cross-border travel and commercial transport between Jordan and Syria.