Jordan targets militant hideouts in Syria after church attack

Jordan said its air force struck what it called militant hideouts in southern Syria after determining that suspects behind last week's deadly attack on a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in Hamoud, Karak governorate, were linked to terrorist groups there. The armed forces said the strikes were coordinated with Damascus. Syria's foreign ministry said Damascus had complete reservations over the strikes, which it said were carried out without prior coordination, and that it had launched an investigation. A Syrian health official said five civilians, including women and children, were killed in the strikes; Jordan had no immediate comment on that account. Earlier, Jordanian security forces arrested three men after a shootout in an abandoned house in al-Judayyda, Karak; the Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya said the investigation was ongoing and there were no indications of links to other cells. The attack killed nine people and wounded at least 34. No group has claimed responsibility. King Abdullah ordered an iron fist response.

Where accounts differ. Syria's government said the strikes were carried out without prior coordination with Damascus, while Jordan said they were conducted in coordination with Damascus (Deutsche Welle, bdnews24.com, The Straits Times); the injury count is given as 40 by Deutsche Welle and at least 34 by bdnews24.com and The Straits Times.

Deutsche Welle (DW)The Straits Timesbdnews24.com

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.