Jordan says 'terrorists' killed in Syria in retaliatory strike over church attack

Jordan has struck what its military notes were "terrorist organisations" in Syria in retaliation for an attack on a Christian funeral last week that killed nine residents.

Key points

• It comes after a nine individuals were killed and 34 injured in a shooting at a funeral in a Greek Orthodox church in Karak on Friday.
• The Public Security Directorate (PSD) remarked the unnamed "terrorists" were identified hiding in an abandoned house in Karak before dawn.
• Nassib is the only passenger and commercial border crossing between Jordan and Syria.
• Earlier on Monday, senior administration security office-holders noted Jordanian security forces had arrested two brothers and their brother-in-law over the church attack.
• In response to the strike, Syria remarked it had closed a border crossing with Jordan.

Syrian health authorities informed state media five individuals, including women, children and an elderly man, were killed in the strike on a village in the southern Daraa province. Jordan remarked its fighter jets had killed and wounded "several terrorists", without giving further details.

Jordan remarked it had co-ordinated with the Syrian administration. Syria remarked it had not been notified of Monday's attack.

"The decision includes the complete suspension of passenger and commercial traffic in both directions, to ensure the safety of travellers and workers at the crossing, " Syrian authorities remarked in an official note carried by state media.

It continued that it had "opened direct channels of communication" with Jordanian office-holders and had introduced "comprehensive investigations to establish the full circumstances of the targeting".

Notably, the Public Security Directorate (PSD) remarked the unnamed "terrorists" were identified hiding in an abandoned house in Karak before dawn.

Jordan's Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya informed state-affiliated TV the attackers were all Jordanians and "had been holed up in a building in one of the villages near the site of the attack".

Taken together, the developments around jordan says ' terrorists' killed in Syria in retaliatory strike over church attack point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.