Jordan Airstrikes in Response to Deadly Church Attack in Syria

Five people were killed in Syria after Jordan launched airstrikes on Monday. The strikes were a response to a deadly attack on a church in Jordan last week. Jordan’s air force stated that the targets were ‘hideouts of terrorist organizations’ in southern Syria allegedly connected to the church assault.

Syria contradicted the Jordanian claims, asserting the airstrikes killed five individuals, which included women, children, and an elderly man. Following the church attack, Jordan announced that it had apprehended three men involved. At a news conference, Obeidallah Maaytah, Director of Public Security, confirmed that after tracking the assailants, a shootout ensued, resulting in their capture and weapons confiscation.

The named detainees were Ahmad Sami Hussein, Mish’al Zaidan Muhammad, and his brother Hazza’ Zaidan Muhammad, identified as the masterminds behind the attack. The death toll from the church incident increased to nine, following the deaths of two more individuals. The attack, which took place during a funeral at the Hamoud Greek Orthodox church, involved three gunmen opening fire on the assembled crowd.

In the aftermath, Queen Rania and Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah attended the funerals, and King Abdullah II visited the injured at a hospital. Although no group has claimed responsibility, Maaytah referred to the attackers as ‘takfiri,’ a term often used to describe Sunni extremists like al-Qaeda and ISIS.