The key facts

  • Jordanian air forces attacked terrorist positions in southern Syria as part of Operation 'Jordanian Vengeance — Hammoud'
  • The attack on the church in the village of Hammoud on October 23 killed nine people and injured dozens
  • Responsibility for the terrorist attack was claimed by the 'Islamic State' group

A strike in response to a terrorist attack

The Royal Jordanian Air Force attacked positions of terrorist groups located in southern Syria. The state news agency announced the conduct of a special operation called 'Jordanian Vengeance — Hammoud' Petra citing the country's armed forces; it is also reported by Gazeta.Ru. According to the military, the strike destroyed facilities used by the terrorists as well as their equipment. The operation was named as vengeance for the armed attack on a church in the village of Hammoud. The Jordanian military emphasized that they will firmly resist attempts to undermine the country's security and will continue the fight against terrorism.

What is known about the attack on the church

On October 23, in the village of Hammoud in the west of Jordan's Karak governorate, an armed attack took place on participants of a memorial service at the Orthodox Church of Saint George. Nine people were killed and dozens were injured. The Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs specified that responsibility for the terrorist attack was claimed by the international terrorist group 'Islamic State' (banned in Russia). King Abdullah II of Jordan stated that the terrorists who carried out the attack face the harshest punishment. Russia had previously condemned the terrorist attack.

The geography of the strike and its logic

Notably, the strike was carried out not on Jordanian territory itself, but on the positions of groups in neighboring southern Syria — the threat, judging by the wording of the military's statement, came from there. The operation itself was named after the affected village, which underscores its status as a direct retaliatory action specifically for the terrorist attack in Hammoud, rather than a planned campaign. The Jordanian military did not report casualties among the terrorists or specific targets hit in the statement they issued.