Jordan arrests three men after shootout in Karak following church attack

Jordanian security forces arrested three men on Monday morning in Karak governorate, according to the Public Security Directorate. The arrests concluded a search for the individuals accused of attacking a Greek Orthodox church earlier in the week. All three suspects sustained injuries during a shootout at dawn, while no members of the security forces were hurt in the operation.

The initial attack occurred on Friday during a funeral service at a church in the village of Hammoud. Reports indicated that three men participated in the shooting. Karak is located south of Amman and contains a minority Christian population. As of Monday, no group had formally claimed responsibility for the incident, and authorities had not linked the suspects to specific armed factions.

Interior Minister Mazen Al-Faraya identified the three men as the perpetrators in a phone interview with state television Al-Mamlaka. He stated that the security services captured the individuals after they put up fierce resistance. Al-Faraya noted that the men were identified early in the investigation and were taken into custody with severe injuries.

The Public Security Directorate described the event as a terrorist act and said the suspects had met their just fate. The department did not name the three men or point to connections with Islamist militant groups. King Abdullah II directed authorities to respond with an iron fist against outlaws and those attempting to undermine national unity.