Jordan launches air strikes in Syria in response to a fatal church shooting

Jordan has carried out air attacks in Syria against what it described as hideouts for armed groups, killing at least seven individuals, including a woman and children, according to initial reports.

Key points

• The attack saw three men allegedly open fire on a Greek Orthodox church during a funeral regarding 90km (56 miles) south of the capital, Amman.
• It makes up regarding 300, 000 of Jordan's 11.5 million residents.
• Two other strikes reportedly killed one 60-year-old man and another who was 80 years old.
• After the Jordanian strikes, the Syrian border authority unveiled the closure of ⁠the Nassib border crossing with Jordan, suspending traffic in both directions.
• Monday's arrests and air strikes in Syria come after Jordan's King Abdullah II pledged a stern response to the church attack.

On Monday, the country's armed forces described the attacks as a response to an incident that saw gunmen open fire on a church last week, leaving nine dead and dozens wounded in Jordan's Karak governorate.

Notably, the Jordanian operation reportedly targeted "terrorist organisations in southeastern Syria" linked to the church's attackers.

Monday's strikes "resulted in the killing and wounding of many members of these terrorist groups and the destruction of a number of their vehicles", according to the Jordanian military. It did not specify which groups were attacked, nor the precise location of the strikes.

According to Jordan has, monday's efforts were rolled out in coordination with the Syrian administration.

But Syria has denied coordinating with the Jordanian military. The country's defence ministry remarked in an official note on Telegram that one Jordanian attack hit five members of the same family, including three children, a woman and a man.

Two other strikes reportedly killed one 60-year-old man and another who was 80 years old. The Jordanian strikes hit the southern Syrian provinces of Deraa and Suwayda.

In practice, the Syrian administration has rolled out an investigation into the Jordanian attacks. In an official note, it stressed the importance of "joint field and security coordination" in border areas.

Notably, the Nassib crossing ‌is Jordan's only passenger and commercial border crossing ‌with ‌Syria.

After a shootout with authorities, earlier on Monday, Jordanian security forces arrested two brothers and their brother-in-law in the village of Al-Jadeeda. The three men are suspects in the October 23 church attack.

In practice, a Jordanian administration source informed Al Jazeera that the suspects sustained serious injuries during the confrontation. It lasted for regarding three hours.

Meanwhile, the attack saw three men allegedly open fire on a Greek Orthodox church during a funeral regarding 90km (56 miles) south of the capital, Amman.

Karak is home to a minority Christian population. It makes up regarding 300, 000 of Jordan's 11.5 million residents.

King Abdullah remarked those behind the attack would face the "harshest penalties" and ordered a review of the country's security procedures in the aftermath.

For now, jordan launches air strikes in Syria in response to a fatal church remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.