Jordan strikes targets in Syria after deadly church attack

Jordan's military said on Monday its air force struck what it called terrorist positions in southern Syria in retaliation for a church attack in Karak governorate the previous Friday, in which gunmen killed nine people during a funeral service at the Greek Orthodox St George's Church in Hammoud. Jordan said the operation was coordinated with Damascus; Syria's foreign ministry said it had 'complete reservation' over the strikes because they were not coordinated beforehand. Syria's state news agency SANA, citing health officials, reported civilian deaths in Daraa province, with figures given as five, six, seven and eight in different reports, including women and children. Security forces arrested three men on Monday after a shootout, named by Major General Abdullah al-Maaytah as Hazza Zaidan Mohammed, Meshal Zaidan Mohammed and Ahmad Sami Hussein; one was reported in critical condition. Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya said all attackers were Jordanians with no external links. King Abdullah II vowed the attackers would not escape punishment. No group has claimed responsibility.

Where accounts differ. Syria's government gave a contradictory account of coordination, and the death toll from the Syrian strikes differs: Haaretz and SANA cited five, Syria's civil defence seven (The Hindu), and the health ministry eight (Gulf News); The Hindu alone reports Sweida province deaths.

HaaretzGulf NewsThe HinduSouth China Morning Post

Written by AI from these outlets' articles: facts they report, claims attributed, numbers checked against the sources. It may still contain errors; read the originals.