Jordan police capture three men after church shooting

Security forces in Jordan detained three armed men on Monday following a deadly shooting that killed nine people at a church funeral.

The attack occurred on Friday in the village of Hamoud, located in Karak governorate approximately 120 kilometers southwest of Amman. Witnesses stated that gunfire continued for several minutes during the service at the Greek Orthodox church. In addition to the nine fatalities, 40 others sustained injuries.

The Public Security Directorate reported that officers located the three suspects hiding in an abandoned house in Karak. The men refused to surrender and opened fire on security personnel. Officers returned the fire, wounding all three suspects before taking them into custody. The directorate confirmed that no security personnel were injured during the exchange and that investigators recovered multiple firearms and ammunition from the suspects.

Jordanian authorities have characterized the incident as the work of extremist terrorists, although no group has claimed responsibility. The Public Security Directorate did not release the names of the suspects or specify any links to Islamist militant organizations. A statement from the directorate noted that the suspects met their just fate and asserted that terrorism has no place among the population.

King Abdullah has ordered security forces to respond to the assault with an iron fist. The attack is considered rare in Jordan, a country often viewed as stable in the Middle East, though officials have previously disrupted multiple Islamist militant plots. Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya said authorities are examining why young people are turning to extremism and added that participants in the attack will be held accountable.