Jordanian Police End Three-Hour Shootout to Arrest Church Attack Suspects

Jordanian security forces arrested three suspects in connection with the deadly attack on a Greek Orthodox church in Karak governorate. The suspects, who belong to the same family, were taken into custody during a dawn raid on Monday. They were hiding in an abandoned house in the village of al-Jadeeda, which is located six minutes by car from the site of the shooting in Hamoud.

The Public Security Directorate stated that the three men refused to surrender and opened fire on officers, leading to an exchange of gunfire. A government source told Al Jazeera that the engagement lasted approximately three hours. All three suspects were injured during the raid, with one suffering critical wounds. Security forces recovered firearms and ammunition from the hideout.

Interior Minister Mazin al-Farrayeh confirmed that the suspects are Jordanians and were identified early in the investigation. He noted that they put up fierce resistance but were eventually subdued. A senior security official told journalists that the group consisted of two brothers and another family member. Authorities have not found links between the suspects and other armed groups.

The attack occurred on Friday during a funeral procession at St. George's Church in Hamoud. Armed men stormed the compound, killing at least eight people and wounding 34 others. Al-Mamlaka TV broadcast security camera footage showing three individuals shooting outside the church and moving toward the entrance. Other video showed the attackers firing on men attempting to flee the building.

The incident has prompted a strong response from Jordanian leadership. King Abdullah II ordered security forces to respond with an iron fist to the attack on the Christian minority. During a National Security Council meeting on Saturday, the king stated that the security and safety of Jordanians are a red line and that the hand of justice will reach every terrorist. He had previously vowed the harshest possible retaliation.

Prime Minister Jafar Hassan ordered three days of national mourning beginning on Friday, with flags flown at half-mast over government institutions. Eight victims were buried in Karak on Sunday in a funeral attended by a large crowd. Their coffins were covered with Jordanian flags as they were carried past a heavy security presence. Karak is home to a notable Christian minority in a country where Christians make up between 2 and 3 percent of the population.

Minister al-Farrayeh said on Monday that investigations are ongoing. He declared that everyone involved in the terrorist act would be taken to justice and stressed that Jordan is adamant such an attack does not happen again. The minister described the perpetrators as extremists with no relationship to humanity, though no specific group has claimed responsibility for the shooting.