Nine dead after gunmen open fire at Jordanian church funeral

Nine people died when gunmen opened fire during a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in the village of Hamoud on Friday. The incident occurred in Karak governorate, located roughly 120 kilometers southwest of Amman. Forty additional individuals sustained injuries during the attack. Witnesses reported that the gunfire continued for several minutes.

Jordanian security forces arrested three armed suspects on Monday following a shootout. State television reported that the men were hiding in an abandoned house in Karak. The suspects refused to surrender and engaged the officers with firearms. Security forces returned fire, wounding all three men before taking them into custody. No security personnel were injured in the exchange.

The Public Security Directorate stated that officials found multiple firearms and ammunition in the possession of the detained men. The directorate described the perpetrators as extremist terrorists. No group has claimed responsibility for the violence. The directorate did not name the suspects or publicly link them to any specific Islamist organization.

King Abdullah ordered security forces to respond with an iron fist to the attack. This violence is highly unusual in Jordan, which is considered a stable state in the region. Authorities have previously foiled several Islamist plots.

Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya said officials are examining the circumstances that lead young people toward extremism. He added that anyone found to have participated in the attack would be held accountable.