Jordan said its air force had struck 'terrorist organization hideouts' in southern Syria. The operation, dubbed 'Jordanian Deterrence - Hmoud', was presented as a response to the attack on a Greek Orthodox church in Karak that killed nine people.
The Jordanian armed forces said that 'the terrorists behind the Karak attack have links to the targeted organizations in southern Syria'. The army said several sites and vehicles were destroyed, and that members of the groups were killed and wounded. The statement did not name specific organizations, the exact locations of the strikes or the number of casualties.
Jordan claims the operation was carried out in coordination with the Syrian government. Damascus, however, presented a different version. Syrian authorities said the strikes were carried out without prior coordination or notification from Jordan and that an investigation had been launched. They also reported established channels of communication with Amman on the matter.
Syria reports civilian casualties
Syria's state news agency SANA quoted Khaled al-Amian, the director of health in Daraa province, as saying that five civilians had been killed in strikes in several locations in the area. The victims included women, children and a 65-year-old man who died in hospital from shrapnel wounds. Two wounded people were also reported to have been taken for treatment.
The discrepancy between the two versions of the coordination and the consequences of the operation remains unconfirmed by an independent party. The Jordanian army says that targets belonging to armed groups have been hit, while Syrian authorities report civilian casualties in Daraa province.
Three suspects detained in Jordan
Earlier, Jordanian authorities reported the detention of three suspects in the Karak attack. They were found in an abandoned house after a shootout in which all three were wounded. Weapons and ammunition were seized in the operation.
The attack took place on October 23 during a funeral ceremony at a Greek Orthodox church in Karak, about 90 kilometers south of Amman. Nine people were killed and more than two dozen were injured. No group has claimed responsibility. The head of Jordan's Public Security Service, Major General Obeidallah al-Maaita, said the detainees "represent only themselves," while Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya described the attack as the result of "terrorist and extremist thinking."
Sources: apnews.com, investing.com, sana.sy