The Jordanian government confirmed on Tuesday that several civilians have died in recent airstrikes on positions of the group known as "ISIS" in Syria. These strikes took place last night in southern Syria and, according to Jordan, aimed to counter terrorist threats.
Details of the Airstrikes
The Jordanian Air Force conducted these strikes in response to a deadly attack on a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in Jordan that resulted in the deaths of nine people. The Jordanian government announced that over 20 ISIS members were killed in these strikes. However, Syrian officials denied this claim and stated that the attacks in the provinces of Daraa and Suwayda killed seven people, including three children and one woman.
Read more: Life-sentenced murderer escapes from Tennessee prison
Reactions to the Attacks
One local resident, Masoud Al-Salem, said in an interview that he lost his wife, son, and three grandchildren in one of these attacks. He was deeply affected by the incident and said, "When I arrived, there was no house left, nothing. I couldn't find anyone." He was searching for his children's personal belongings under the rubble.
Mohammad Al-Momani, Jordan's Minister of Communications, confirmed civilian casualties and stated that the Kingdom of Jordan expresses its regret over this matter. He emphasized that Jordan always strives to protect civilian lives and that air operations are conducted based on field intelligence to neutralize real threats.
Coordination Role with Syria
The Jordanian minister also added that the Jordanian Air Force has inflicted heavy damage on ISIS ranks and destroyed a large weapons depot belonging to the group. However, the Syrian Foreign Ministry described these attacks as a violation of its sovereignty, stating that the strikes were conducted without prior coordination.
Jordan and Syria have maintained close and strong relations, and officials from both countries have stated that they will continue security cooperation to prevent instability. Meanwhile, following these attacks, Jordanian authorities arrested three men on charges of involvement in the attack on the funeral in Jordan.
Read more: House Republicans will hold leadership elections on November 10 · Russian airstrikes in northeastern Ukraine leave three dead
