Jordanian Forces Wound and Detain Three Men in Karak

Jordanian security forces detained three armed men on Monday following a shootout in Karak. The arrests connect to a Friday attack on a Greek Orthodox church in the village of Hamoud that killed nine people and wounded forty others.

The Public Security Directorate stated that the suspects were hiding in an abandoned house in Karak. They refused to surrender and fired at security personnel. Officers returned fire, wounding all three men before taking them into custody. The directorate confirmed that no security staff were injured during the exchange.

Investigators recovered several firearms and ammunition from the suspects. The directorate described the attackers as extremist terrorists but did not name them or link them publicly to any specific Islamist group. No organization has claimed responsibility for the initial attack on the church.

The shooting occurred during a funeral service. Witnesses reported that the gunfire lasted for several minutes. Hamoud is located in the Karak governorate, approximately 120 kilometers southwest of Amman. Jordan is generally considered stable, making this violence unusual for the region.

King Abdullah ordered security forces to respond with an iron fist to the attack on the country's Christian minority. Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya said officials are examining how young people are drawn toward extremism. He added that anyone found to have participated in the attack would face accountability.

State media reported the arrests on Monday. The directorate noted that the suspects met their just fate and that terrorism has no place among the population.