Jordanian Police Capture Three Brothers in Three-Hour Firefight at Karak Hideout

Jordanian security forces captured three suspects in the village of al-Jadeeda on Monday morning after a three-hour gun battle. The men are the primary targets in the case of a deadly attack on a Greek Orthodox church that occurred on Friday. Interior Minister Mazin al-Farrayeh confirmed the arrests during a press conference, stating that the suspects were all Jordanian nationals and members of the same family.

The suspects, who include two brothers, were hiding in an abandoned house in al-Jadeeda. The village is located just six minutes by car from Hamoud, where the initial shooting took place. According to the Public Security Directorate, the men refused to surrender and opened fire on security personnel. Officers returned fire, eventually subduing the group and taking them into custody.

Al-Farrayeh described the suspects as putting up fierce resistance. He noted that all three men sustained severe injuries during the raid. One suspect was critically hurt, according to the directorate. Security forces recovered firearms and ammunition from the hideout, as reported by the state news agency Petra. The minister said that investigators expanded their search scope over several locations before surrounding the final hideout.

The arrests follow an attack on St. George’s Church in Hamoud, Karak governorate. Armed men stormed the church compound during a funeral procession on Friday. The attack killed eight people and wounded 34 others. Authorities labeled the incident a terrorist act carried out by extremists. King Abdullah II ordered security forces to respond with an iron fist, calling the safety of Jordanians a red line.

Prime Minister Jafar Hassan ordered three days of national mourning starting on Friday. Flags at government and public institutions were flown at half-mast during the period. On Sunday, a large crowd gathered in Karak for the funeral of the eight victims. Their coffins were draped with Jordanian flags as mourners processed through a heavily guarded area. The Karak region is home to a Christian minority, which makes up between 2 percent and 3 percent of the country’s population.

Al-Farrayeh stated that investigations into the attack remain ongoing. He said that everyone involved in the terrorist act would face justice. The minister also posted on X that the government is examining the circumstances that lead young people toward extremism. He urged citizens to remain calm and reject violence, promising practical measures to protect civilians following the tragedy.

The Public Security Directorate has not yet named the suspects or identified specific armed group affiliations. Al-Farrayeh described the attackers as a group of extremists with no relationship to humanity. No external group has claimed responsibility for the shooting. Security officials said the suspects were identified early in the aftermath of the incident, and security services used all available means to apprehend them before the final standoff.