Nine die in Jordan church shooting as police capture three gunmen

Gunfire erupted during a funeral service at a Greek Orthodox church in the village of Hamoud on Friday, killing nine people and wounding 40. The attack occurred in Karak governorate, located roughly 120 kilometres southwest of Amman. Witnesses reported that the shooting continued for several minutes before the assailants fled the scene.

Security forces arrested three armed suspects on Monday after tracking them to an abandoned house in Karak. State television reported that the men refused to surrender and opened fire on officers who responded. Police returned the gunfire, wounding all three suspects before taking them into custody. No security personnel were injured during the exchange, and officers recovered multiple firearms and ammunition from the hideout.

Jordan’s Public Security Directorate described the attackers as extremist terrorists, though no group has formally claimed responsibility. The directorate did not release the names of the suspects or specify ties to any Islamist militant organizations. In a statement, the directorate declared that terrorism has no place among the people and that the suspects had met their just fate.

King Abdullah ordered security forces to respond with an iron fist to the rare assault on the country’s Christian minority. Jordan is generally considered stable in the Middle East, but officials say they have broken up various Islamist militant plots over the years. Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya stated that authorities are examining the circumstances that pushed young people toward extremism. He added that anyone found to have taken part in the attack would be held accountable.