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Defense & Security · Middle East

Jordan says airstrikes hit Syrian hideouts after church shooting killed nine

After a shooting at a church in southern Jordan killed nine people and wounded 34, Jordan’s military said the Royal Jordanian Air Force struck alleged hideouts in southern Syria. The military said the operation destroyed facilities and vehicles and killed and wounded operatives, without giving casualty figures.

AI-assisted synthesis · Based on 7 outlets' reporting · Article text read from 1 of 7 outletsHow it's made

View timeline · 10 entries
7 outlets3 regionsLatest reporting 3 min read
Coverage: MixedL 1 · C 3 · R 1 · 2 unrated
Updat3 graphic: Jordan
Updat3 graphic · Map data: Natural Earth Natural Earth (public domain)

What happened

Key facts

  • A shooting at St. George's Greek Orthodox Church in Hammoud, in the Karak governorate, killed nine people and wounded 34 (per israelnationalnews.com).
  • The Royal Jordanian Air Force said it carried out airstrikes against positions in southern Syria after the church shooting (per israelnationalnews.com).
  • Jordan's military said the targeted hideouts allegedly belonged to organizations whose members were connected to the shooting's perpetrators (per israelnationalnews.com).
  • Jordan's military said the operation destroyed facilities and vehicles and killed and wounded operatives, but gave no casualty figures (per israelnationalnews.com).
  • King Abdullah II praised the operation and said Jordanian forces had pursued the attackers to their hideouts (per israelnationalnews.com).
  • Jordanian authorities arrested three suspects in connection with the church shooting (per israelnationalnews.com).
CASUALTIES
Reported and attributed figures — not independently verified by Updat3
The totals of nine killed and 34 wounded refer to the church shooting, not the airstrikes.
People at St. George's Greek Orthodox ChurchAttributed claim
9 killed · 34 injured
Attributed to: The shooting toll reported by Israel National News.
OperativesReported by officials
No specific figure reported
Attributed to: Jordan's military said the strikes killed and wounded operatives but gave no figures.

The brief

Israel National News reported that the shooting occurred during a funeral at St. George's Greek Orthodox Church in Hammoud, in the Karak governorate. Gunmen opened fire at the church on Friday, October 23, according to the outlet, which reported nine deaths and 34 injuries.

The Jordanian military said the sites hit in Syria were hideouts allegedly connected to organizations whose members had links to the people who carried out the church shooting. That is the military’s account of the connection; the outlet did not report independent confirmation of the alleged links.

King Abdullah II praised the airstrikes and said Jordanian forces had pursued the attackers to their hideouts. Israel National News quoted him as writing, “We said that the terrorists would not escape punishment.” He also said people promoting ideologies that divide Jordanians would be held accountable.

The same report said Jordanian authorities arrested three suspects in connection with the shooting. It attributed to Maaytah the statement that the attack had not been planned in advance; the excerpt did not provide Maaytah’s first name or title.

The outlet described the military operation as targeting positions associated with organizations whose members were allegedly connected to the shooting’s perpetrators. Its account did not provide the number of operatives killed or wounded, or report a response from the organizations or individuals accused of links to the attack.

The headlines from the Financial Times, BBC, France 24, The Guardian, Post Register and The Killeen Daily Herald also report Jordanian strikes or attacks in Syria after the church attack.

The BBC and The Guardian characterize the strikes as retaliation, while the other headlines use more neutral descriptions or attribute the claimed link to Jordan; those headlines do not add casualty figures or details about the targets.

The reported account therefore leaves the military’s casualty claims unquantified, while identifying the church shooting’s toll and three arrests.

Why it matters

  • The church shooting killed nine people and wounded 34 in Hammoud, according to Israel National News.
  • Jordan's military said its strikes destroyed facilities and vehicles and killed and wounded operatives, but did not provide a casualty count.
  • The reported connection between the Syrian hideouts and the shooting is an allegation made by Jordan's military.

What to watch next

  • Whether Jordan's military provides casualty figures for the operatives it said were killed and wounded.
  • Whether Jordanian authorities provide further information about the three arrested suspects.
  • Whether the alleged links between the Syrian hideouts and the church shooting are substantiated.

How it's being covered

Coverage analysisShow details
7 source articles · 7 unique outlets · 6 distinct reports
Outlet political mix: Mixed· 1 Left · 3 Center · 1 Right · 2 unrated
Where the outlets are based: Europe 57% · US/Canada 14% · Other 29%
Outlet political mix
Mixed
Left
Center
Right
1 outlet
3 outlets
1 outlet
The marker shows coverage balance: each unique outlet counts once. 2 unrated outlets are not included.
Geography
Where the outlets covering this story are based.
7 unique outletsDominant coverage: Europe
How we measure coverage

How outlets' accounts compare

Updat3 does not yet have enough full reports to compare how outlets framed this story.

Timeline

Developments from this story's sources, dated background we compiled and fact-checked, and our earlier coverage. Each row says which.
  1. Jordan and Syria established diplomatic relations in 1946, and their shared border has remained central to security cooperation and disputes.
    Background · from our historical context
  2. Suicide bombers attacked three hotels in Amman, killing about 60 people; al-Qaeda in Iraq claimed responsibility.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  3. The border-security problem took shape during Syria’s civil war, which began in 2011 after protests against President Bashar al-Assad’s government were met with a crackdown and escalated into armed conflict.
    Background · from our historical context
  4. Jordan joined the US-led coalition against the group in 2014, and the Royal Jordanian Air Force took part in coalition strikes in Syria.
    Background · from our historical context
  5. Jordan closed its border crossings with Syria after fighting threatened the frontier.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  6. Islamic State released a video showing the killing of captured Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kasasbeh.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  7. Gunmen attacked security personnel and civilians in Karak governorate and barricaded themselves in Karak Castle; 10 people were killed.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  8. Jordan and Syria reopened the Jaber–Nasib border crossing.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  9. In May 2023, Jordanian aircraft also struck a suspected drug trafficker’s home in Suwayda, an operation that Syrian reports said killed civilians as well as the target.
    Background · from our historical context
  10. On January 18, 2024, Jordanian aircraft struck targets in Syria’s Suwayda and Daraa provinces.
    Background · from our historical context

How we got here

On January 18, 2024, Jordanian aircraft struck targets in Syria’s Suwayda and Daraa provinces. Jordan did not publicly detail the operation; Syrian reports said the strikes hit suspected drug-smuggling sites and killed civilians.

In May 2023, Jordanian aircraft also struck a suspected drug trafficker’s home in Suwayda, an operation that Syrian reports said killed civilians as well as the target. The border-security problem took shape during Syria’s civil war, which began in 2011 after protests against President Bashar al-Assad’s government were met with a crackdown and escalated into armed conflict.

Original sources

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