Jordan launches airstrikes in southern Syria after church attack linked to militants

Jordan announced on Monday that its Royal Air Force carried out airstrikes targeting what it described as militant hideouts in southern Syria, after it was determined that the perpetrators of last week's deadly church attack belonged to terrorist groups active in the region.

There has been no comment yet from Syrian authorities, and it remains unclear whether the strikes were coordinated with Damascus.

Earlier, Jordan’s Public Security Directorate said it had arrested three individuals accused of carrying out an attack targeting civilians inside a church in the village of Hammoud in Karak province, southern Jordan.

In a statement, the directorate said that specialized investigation and raid teams, in cooperation with other security agencies, were able to locate the attackers early Monday after ongoing search operations since the incident.

It explained that the three suspects had barricaded themselves inside an abandoned house in Karak province and refused to surrender, opening fire on the security forces.

The statement added that the security forces responded according to engagement protocols, managed to subdue the suspects, and arrested them after all were wounded, with no injuries reported among the security personnel.

The directorate noted that firearms and ammunition were seized from the suspects after searching the house where they had taken refuge.