Jordan arrests three suspects after eight killed in Karak church shooting
Security forces located the armed men hiding in an abandoned house in the village of Al-Jadeeda following a deadly attack on a Greek Orthodox funeral.
By Vincent Parker ·
Jordanian security forces detained three armed suspects on Monday after a search for the gunmen who killed eight people at a church in the Karak governorate. The suspects were hiding in an abandoned house in the village of Al-Jadeeda when authorities found them, according to the Public Security Directorate.
The men refused to surrender and opened fire on the security team, which returned the attack. The confrontation lasted approximately three hours. All three suspects were wounded during the exchange and taken into custody. No security personnel were injured. Petra News Agency reported that investigators found firearms and live ammunition at the scene.
A government source told Al Jazeera that one suspect is in critical condition following the firefight. The other two sustained serious injuries. On Monday, Government Communication Minister Mohammad Momani praised the operation as a successful joint effort. He confirmed on social media that the suspects were injured and captured after refusing to give themselves up.
The initial attack occurred on Friday when three gunmen opened fire at a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in the village of Hamoud. The village is located about 120 kilometers southwest of Amman. The Ministry of Health reported that the shooting killed eight people and injured 40 others. As of Monday, 27 of the injured remained hospitalized. The director of Prince Ali Military Hospital in Karak said one patient was in critical condition after surgery.
Karak is home to a large portion of Jordan’s Christian minority, which numbers about 300,000 out of the country’s 11.5 million residents. King Abdullah II stated that the attackers would face the harshest penalties. He ordered a review of the nation’s security procedures for responding to such incidents. The Public Security Directorate noted in a statement that the suspects met their just fate without naming any specific groups.
Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya said authorities are reviewing the circumstances that lead young people to embrace violence. He added that anyone found to have participated in the attack would be held accountable. The directorate declared that terrorism has no place in the country.
Source: Al Jazeera
