Jordan Holds Three Gunmen Linked to Deadly Hamoud Church Attack
Security forces detained three armed suspects in Karak following a shootout, days after nine people were killed during a funeral service.
By Katherine Barnes ·
Jordanian authorities have detained three armed men in connection with a church attack that killed nine people in the Karak governorate.
The violence began on Friday during a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in the village of Hamoud, located roughly 120 kilometers southwest of Amman. Witnesses reported the gunfire lasted for several minutes. The incident left nine people dead and wounded 40 others.
On Monday, security forces discovered the three suspects hiding in an abandoned house in Karak. The men refused to surrender and opened fire on the officers. Security personnel returned fire and wounded all three suspects before taking them into custody. The Public Security Directorate stated that no security personnel were injured during the exchange. Officials recovered several firearms and ammunition from the suspects.
The directorate identified the attackers as "extremist terrorists" but did not name the individuals or link them to a specific Islamist group. No organization has publicly claimed responsibility for the funeral shooting. 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 the circumstances that lead young people toward extremism. He stated that anyone found to have participated in the attack would be held accountable.
The Public Security Directorate said terrorism has no place in Jordan and that the suspects had met their "just fate." The ministry noted that violence of this magnitude is highly unusual in the region. Authorities have previously foiled several Islamist plots in the country.
Source: The Jerusalem Post
