Jordan Detains Three in Karak Church Attack

Jordanian security forces detained three armed men on Monday while investigating a fatal shooting at a Greek Orthodox church in Hamoud village.

The attack occurred on Friday in Karak governorate, approximately 120 kilometers southwest of Amman. Gunfire during a funeral service killed nine people and wounded 40 others. Witnesses described the exchange as lasting several minutes before it ceased.

The Public Security Directorate located the suspects hiding in an abandoned house in Karak. The men fired at officers upon being approached, prompting a return of fire that injured all three before they were taken into custody. No security personnel were reported hurt. Officers seized multiple firearms and ammunition from the site.

Authorities labeled the incident an act by "extremist terrorists," though no group has formally claimed responsibility. The directorate declined to name the suspects or confirm specific links to Islamist militant groups. In a published statement, the directorate asserted that "Terrorism has no place among us" and stated the suspects had met their "just fate."

King Abdullah, a major partner for the United States in the region, directed forces to use an "iron fist" against the attack on the country's Christian minority. Such violence is rare in Jordan, a nation generally viewed as stable in the Middle East, although officials have disrupted several Islamist plots in recent years. Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya said investigators are reviewing factors driving young people toward extremism and that all participants will be held accountable.

The three suspects remain in custody as the investigation continues.