Jordan launched airstrikes against armed groups in southern Syria in response to a deadly attack on a Greek Orthodox church in the city of Karak, southern Jordan, which killed nine people and injured more than two dozen others. The Jordanian air force announced the operation on Monday, stating that it resulted in significant casualties among members of the targeted groups, although it did not specify their identities or the exact location of the strikes.

The attack on the church, which occurred during a funeral service on Friday, deeply shocked Jordan and prompted the government to declare three days of mourning. Karak, situated about 90 kilometers south of the capital Amman, is known to host a minority Christian community. No organization immediately claimed responsibility for the shooting, and the motive remains unclear.

Later on Monday, Jordanian authorities arrested three men they identified as brothers Hazzah Zaidan Mohammad and Mishal Zaidan Mohammad, along with their brother-in-law Ahmad Sami Hussein, all Jordanian nationals. The arrests followed a shootout at dawn in Karak, with all three suspects wounded in the confrontation. Maj. Gen. Obaidallah Abd Rabbo Al-Maayta, head of Jordan’s Public Security Directorate, described the gunmen as “takfiri,” a term often used to refer to Sunni militants, but emphasized that they acted independently and were not affiliated with any organized group. Authorities also reported discovering a large cache of weapons in the abandoned house where the suspects were apprehended.

Jordan’s Interior Minister, Mazen Al-Faraya, characterized the attack as driven by “a terroristic, extremist way of thinking” and warned that similar incidents could recur unless this mindset is addressed. King Abdullah II called for a strong response against those he described as outlaws of Islam and anyone seeking to disturb national unity, pledging that the perpetrators would face severe consequences.

In Syria’s southern province of Daraa, where the strikes were carried out, local health officials reported civilian casualties. The director of health there told Syrian state news agency SANA that at least five civilians, including women, children, and an elderly man, were killed. Syrian state media overall reported eight deaths linked to the Jordanian airstrikes. The Syrian government criticized the operation for being conducted without prior coordination or notification and indicated it was investigating the incident while maintaining communication with Jordanian authorities.

Relatives and survivors of the church attack expressed mixed emotions following the arrests. While grief remains profound, some family members said the identification and detention of the suspects offered a measure of relief amid the tragedy. The full circumstances surrounding both the church attack and the subsequent military response continue to be subject to investigation and discussion in the region.