Jordanian Security: Three Gunmen Captured in Karak Church Shooting

Jordan’s Public Security Directorate announced on Monday that it had taken three armed men into custody following the search for attackers linked to a fatal shooting at a church in Karak governorate.

The security forces located the suspects in an abandoned house in the village of Al-Jadeeda. According to state media, the men refused to surrender and engaged the police in a firefight that lasted approximately three hours. All three suspects were wounded during the clash and subsequently arrested. A government source told Al Jazeera that one suspect remains in critical condition, while the others suffered serious injuries. Petra News Agency reported that no security personnel were hurt during the operation, and officers recovered firearms and live ammunition from the site.

The attack occurred on Friday when three gunmen opened fire during a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in the village of Hamoud, located about 120 kilometers southwest of Amman. The Ministry of Health confirmed that eight people were killed and 40 were injured. By Monday, 27 of the wounded patients remained hospitalized. The director of Prince Ali Military Hospital in Karak stated that one patient was still in critical condition following surgery.

Government Communication Minister Mohammad Momani praised the security forces for their joint effort in a post on X, confirming that the suspects were detained after refusing to give up. The Public Security Directorate issued a statement declaring that terrorism had no place in Jordan and that the suspects had met their just fate. The statement did not identify a specific group linked to the attackers.

Karak is a primary residence for Jordan’s Christian minority, a community of approximately 300,000 people within a national population of 11.5 million. King Abdullah II offered condolences to the victims’ families and ordered a review of security procedures for responding to attacks. He stated that those responsible would face the harshest penalties. Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya said authorities are examining the circumstances that lead young people to embrace violence and emphasized that participants in the attack would be held accountable.