Jordanian Police Detain Three Gunmen After Hamoud Church Attack

Jordanian security forces detained three armed men on Monday following a shootout in Karak governorate, concluding a manhunt that began after a funeral attack in the village of Hamoud. State television reported that officers located the suspects inside an abandoned house where they refused to surrender. The men opened fire on the security team, who returned the volley and wounded all three before taking them into custody.

The initial violence occurred on Friday during a service at a Greek Orthodox church, located roughly 120 kilometers southwest of Amman. The gunfire lasted for several minutes, killing nine people and wounding 40 others. The Public Security Directorate stated that no officers were injured during the subsequent capture. Investigators recovered multiple firearms and ammunition from the detained individuals.

Officials have categorized the event as an act by extremist terrorists, although no organization has formally claimed responsibility. The directorate has not released the names of the suspects or specified any links to Islamist militant groups. In a statement, the department declared that the men met their just fate, asserting that terrorism has no place in the country.

King Abdullah, a major United States partner in regional counterterrorism efforts, ordered an iron fist response to the attack on the Christian minority. Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya said authorities are reviewing the factors that drove young people toward extremism. He indicated that anyone found to have participated in the attack would face accountability.

The incident stands out as rare in a region often viewed as stable. Jordanian officials have previously disrupted several Islamist plots, and the current investigation focuses on the specific circumstances surrounding the Hamoud shooting.