Jordan strikes Syria after church attack

Jordan has carried out periodic strikes in Syria in recent years, particularly against drug-smuggling networks tied to Iranian-backed militias.

By Eliana Fleming, JFeed

The Royal Jordanian Air Force launched a series of strikes on Syrian territory overnight, the military announced, in response to a deadly shooting attack on a church in the western city of Karak over the weekend.

Seven worshippers were killed and another 40 wounded when a gunman opened fire at the church in Karak, a city in western Jordan near the Dead Sea.

The attack took place during weekend services.

Jordan’s military said the air operation targeted what it described as terror infrastructure across the border in Syria, though it did not specify the exact locations or the scale of the strikes.

The announcement came hours after the Karak massacre, which has drawn widespread condemnation across the kingdom.

The strike marks a significant escalation in Jordan’s military posture along its northern border, where Amman has long accused militant groups of using Syrian territory as a staging ground for cross-border operations.

Jordan has carried out periodic strikes in Syria in recent years, particularly against drug-smuggling networks tied to Iranian-backed militias, but a response to an attack on a church represents a new dimension in the kingdom’s security calculus.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the church shooting, and Jordanian authorities have not publicly identified the attacker or stated a motive.

The kingdom’s Christian minority, which makes up roughly 4 percent of the population, has historically lived in relative security, and attacks on churches are rare.