This photo taken with a mobile phone shows a destroyed house following a series of Jordanian airstrikes on the Daraa countryside in southern Syria, on Oct. 26, 2026. Jordanian air force carried out airstrikes against militant sites in southern Syria on Monday, the Jordanian Armed Forces said, while Syria's state media reported five people were killed in the airstrikes. (Str/Xinhua)
AMMAN/DAMASCUS, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) -- Jordanian air force carried out airstrikes against militant sites in southern Syria on Monday, the Jordanian Armed Forces said, while Syria's state media reported five people were killed in the airstrikes.
The operation was launched in retaliation for a deadly attack on a church in Karak governorate in southern Jordan on Friday and was coordinated with Syrian authorities, the Jordanian forces said in a statement.
It targeted hideouts belonging to militant groups behind the church attack, the statement said.
Following the Jordanian military's announcement, Syrian state news agency SANA reported that five civilians, including women and children, were killed and another two injured in Jordanian airstrikes on the Daraa countryside in southern Syria on Monday evening, citing the head of the provincial health directorate.
Syrian authorities later said in a statement that they were closely monitoring developments in the south following the Jordanian airstrikes, stressing that the military operation had not been coordinated in advance with the Syrian side.
Syrian authorities have launched an investigation into the strikes and are keeping communication channels with Jordan open to discuss the incident, the statement said.
The church attack in Jordan took place Friday when gunmen opened fire on people attending a funeral, killing nine people and injuring at least 34 others. ■
