Jordan arrests wounded gunmen after Karak church attack and retaliates with Syria airstrikes

Jordanian security forces arrested three gunmen who had carried out a mass shooting at a Greek Orthodox church in Karak Governorate after the suspects were wounded during a shootout with police at an abandoned building. The gunmen had taken refuge at the location following the attack, which ranks among the most severe incidents targeting a religious site in Jordan in recent memory. The arrests concluded the immediate manhunt phase following the shooting.

In a coordinated response, the Jordanian Armed Forces announced that it had conducted airstrikes against positions in southern Syria, claiming that the gunmen responsible for the church attack were linked to armed groups operating there. The military strikes reportedly killed several civilians, prompting questions about the proportionality and precision of the cross-border military operation. The decision to deploy both domestic security forces and military assets across the border demonstrates the seriousness with which Jordanian authorities have approached the incident. The developments highlight growing concerns about armed group activity from Syria spilling over into Jordan, contributing to broader regional instability.