Jordan Holds Three Armed Men Following Karak Church Massacre
The suspects were wounded during a shootout in an abandoned house after nine people were killed at a Greek Orthodox funeral in Hamoud village.
By Jason Lee ·
Jordanian security forces detained three armed men on Monday after a firefight in Karak governorate. The arrests follow a deadly shooting at a Greek Orthodox church in the village of Hamoud that occurred on Friday. State television reported that the suspects were hiding in an abandoned house when officers located them.
The initial attack took place during a funeral mass. Witnesses described the gunfire as lasting several minutes. Nine people died in the incident, and forty others sustained injuries. The village of Hamoud is located approximately 120 kilometers southwest of Amman, the national capital.
According to the Public Security Directorate, the three suspects refused to surrender and opened fire on the security team. Officers returned fire, wounding all three men before taking them into custody. No security personnel were injured during the exchange. Investigators recovered multiple firearms and ammunition from the suspects.
King Abdullah II has instructed security forces to act decisively against the attackers. He referred to the response as an "iron fist" measure. The monarch views the attack as an unusual disruption to the country's stability. Jordan is generally considered a stable nation in the Middle East, with a small Christian minority that has historically been safe.
Mazen al-Faraya, the interior minister, stated that officials are analyzing the factors driving young people toward extremism. He emphasized that all participants in the attack would face accountability. The Public Security Directorate labeled the attackers as "extremist terrorists" but did not name them or link them to a specific Islamist group. No organization has publicly claimed responsibility for the violence.
Source: The Jerusalem Post
