Jordanian police capture three gunmen after nine killed in Karak church attack

Jordanian security forces took three armed men into custody on Monday following a fatal shooting at a Greek Orthodox church in Karak governorate. The attack occurred on Friday during a funeral in the village of Hamoud, located roughly 120 kilometers southwest of Amman.

The Public Security Directorate stated that officers tracked the suspects to an abandoned house in Karak. The men refused to surrender and opened fire on the police, who returned the gunfire. All three suspects were wounded in the exchange before being taken into custody, and no security personnel were injured.

Officials confirmed that officers recovered multiple firearms and ammunition from the suspects. The directorate did not release the names of the men or identify any specific links to Islamist militant groups, though it labeled the attack the work of extremist terrorists.

The shooting left nine people dead and 40 others wounded. Witnesses reported that the gunfire continued for several minutes during the funeral service. King Abdullah has ordered security forces to respond with an iron fist to the assault on the country's Christian minority.

Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya said authorities are investigating the circumstances that pushed young people toward extremism. He added that anyone found to have participated in the attack would be held accountable. Jordan, often viewed as a stable Middle Eastern nation, has previously broken up several Islamist militant plots.