Jordan says its air force struck 'militant hideouts' in Syria after church attack

AL-JUDAYYDA: Jordan said on Monday its air force had 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 coordination with Damascus. Syria's government gave a contradictory account, saying it had launched an investigation into the Jordanian attacks, while stressing the importance of field and security coordination in border areas.

Damascus had informed Jordan of its "complete reservation" over the strikes, which were carried out without prior coordination, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Seven people, including three children and a woman, were killed and three others wounded in the Jordanian strikes, the Syrian Civil Defence said in a preliminary report. It said emergency teams had responded to four sites hit by the strikes in the countryside of Daraa and Sweida provinces.

There was no immediate comment from Jordan on that account.

Shortly after the strikes, Syria closed the Nassib border crossing with Jordan on Tuesday, suspending passenger and commercial traffic in both directions. The Syrian General Authority for Border Crossings and Customs said in a statement that the move was prompted by developments on the ground in Daraa province.

Nassib is Jordan's only passenger and commercial border crossing with Syria.

Earlier on Monday, senior government security officials said Jordanian security forces had arrested two brothers and their brother-in-law following a shootout over the church attack, which killed nine people.

"God willing, they only represent themselves," said Jordan's Director of Public Security, Major-General Obeidallah al-Maaytah.

Such violence is rare 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".

At 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.

Attack targeted Greek Orthodox funeral

Friday's assault during a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in the village of Hamoud, about 120km south-west of the capital, Amman, also wounded at least 34 people. Witnesses said gunmen opened fire for several minutes.

The suspects, who lived near Hamoud, would face justice, security officials said. The three suspects were named at the press briefing.

Reuters video footage showed a building pockmarked by an exchange of fire in the village of al-Judayyda, in Karak governorate.

Jordan's Public Security Directorate said in a statement carried by state media that security forces had located the suspects while they were hiding in an abandoned house. They refused to surrender and attacked security forces, who returned fire and arrested all three after wounding them.

No security personnel were injured, and security forces found a number of firearms and rounds of ammunition in the suspects' possession.

There has been no claim of responsibility for the church attack.

Jordan, a US partner in the fight against extremism, has foiled militant plots in the past. The security officials did not name any Islamist groups at the press conference.