Three Held After Karak Church Killings

The conflict between Jordan's security apparatus and unidentified gunmen ended on Monday when officers detained three armed men in a shootout. The arrest followed a deadly Friday attack on a Greek Orthodox church in the village of Hamoud, located in Karak governorate, approximately 120 kilometers southwest of Amman.

Nine people died during the funeral service, and forty others sustained injuries. Witnesses reported that the gunfire continued for several minutes. The Public Security Directorate stated that the suspects were located in an abandoned house in Karak. The men refused to surrender and opened fire on approaching officers. All three suspects were wounded in the exchange, and security personnel reported no injuries.

Officials recovered multiple firearms and ammunition from the detained men. The Directorate did not release the names of the suspects nor link them to a specific Islamist organization. In a statement, the directorate labeled the perpetrators as extremist terrorists. The statement noted that the suspects had met their just fate and that terrorism has no place in Jordan.

King Abdullah ordered security forces to respond with an iron fist to the attack, which targeted the country's Christian minority. Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya said officials are examining the circumstances that drive young people toward extremism. He added that every individual found to have participated in the violence would be held accountable.

Such violence is rare in Jordan, a state often viewed as stable in the Middle East. Authorities have previously foiled several Islamist plots. No group has claimed responsibility for the Hamoud attack.