Three arrested after shootout linked to Karak church attack that killed nine

Jordanian security forces arrested three armed suspects on Monday in connection with a deadly attack on a Greek Orthodox church in Karak. State television reported that the three men were hiding in an abandoned house when officers located them. The suspects refused to surrender and opened fire on the police, who returned the attack. Security officials said they wounded all three men before securing their custody.

The arrests follow a shooting on Friday during a funeral in the village of Hamoud, located approximately 120 kilometers southwest of Amman. The violence killed nine people and wounded 40 others. Witnesses described the gunfire as lasting several minutes. The Public Security Directorate confirmed that no security personnel were injured in the Monday shootout and that firearms and ammunition were recovered from the suspects.

Authorities have characterized the Friday attack as an act of terrorism. The directorate stated that the suspects had met their just fate, a phrase it used to describe the outcome of the standoff. King Abdullah has ordered an iron fist response to the incident, which is considered rare for the Christian minority in the stable Middle Eastern nation.

Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya said officials are reviewing the circumstances that drove the young suspects toward extremism. He added that those found to have participated in the attack would be held accountable. The ministry has not named the three individuals or identified specific Islamist group affiliations.

Jordan has foiled several Islamist plots in previous years, but this incident marks one of the few recent large-scale attacks on the country. No group has formally claimed responsibility for the shooting in the Karak governorate.