Jordan yesterday said its air force struck what it described as militant hideouts in southern Syria after determining that the suspects behind last week’s deadly church attack in the kingdom were linked to ‘terrorist groups’ operating there.
The armed forces said the operation was conducted in co-ordination with Damascus. Syria’s government gave a contradictory account, saying it had launched an investigation into the Jordanian attacks, and stressed in a statement the importance of field and security co-ordination in border areas.
Five civilians, including women and children, were killed as a result of the Jordanian strikes, a health official told Syria’s state news agency.
There was no immediate comment from Jordan on that account.
Hours earlier, senior government security officials said their security forces had arrested two brothers and their brother-in-law after a shootout on Monday over the church violence that killed nine people.
“God willing, they only represent themselves,” said Jordan’s Director of Public Security, Major-General Obeidallah Al Maaytah.
Such violence is highly unusual in Jordan, a relatively stable US ally in the Middle East. Friday’s attack on the Christian minority prompted King Abdullah to order security forces to respond with an ‘iron fist’.
In a Press conference, Al Maaytah and Interior Minister Mazen Al Faraya said the country would not tolerate extremist terrorism.
“The file has not yet been closed; investigations are still ongoing. As of today, there are no indications of any links between them and other cells,” Al Faraya added.
Friday’s assault during a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in the village of Hamoud, about 120km southwest of the capital, Amman, also wounded at least 34 people.
Witnesses said gunmen opened fire for several minutes. The suspects, who lived near Hamoud, will face justice, said the security officials. The three suspects were named in the Press briefing. Reuters video footage showed a building pockmarked by the exchange of fire in the village of Al Judayyda, in Karak governorate.
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