8 Dead in Jordan Church Attack

Eight people died and 40 were injured when three gunmen opened fire at a funeral on Friday. The attack took place at a Greek Orthodox church in the village of Hamoud, located in Karak governorate. The site sits approximately 120 kilometers southwest of Amman.

Jordanian authorities spent several days searching for the shooters. On Monday, state media reported that security forces located the suspects hiding in an abandoned house in the nearby village of Al-Jadeeda. The Public Security Directorate stated the men refused to surrender. They attacked the officers, who returned fire. All three suspects were detained after sustaining wounds.

A government source told Al Jazeera that the fighting lasted about three hours. The suspects suffered serious injuries during the clash. One man is in critical condition. Petra News Agency reported that no members of the security forces were hurt. Investigators found firearms and live ammunition at the scene.

The Public Security Directorate issued a statement calling the event terrorism. It declared that the suspects had met their just fate. The statement did not name a specific group linked to the attack. Mohammad Momani, the Minister of Government Communications, posted on X that the operation was a successful joint effort. He confirmed that all three men were wounded and detained after refusing to give up.

Twenty-seven of the 40 injured victims remained in hospitals as of Monday. The director of Prince Ali Military Hospital in Karak said one patient is in critical condition following surgery. King Abdullah II offered condolences to the families of the victims. He stated that those responsible would face the harshest penalties. The King also ordered a review of security procedures for responding to attacks.

Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya said authorities are examining the circumstances that lead young people to embrace violence. He noted that anyone found to have participated in the attack would be held accountable. Karak is home to a large portion of Jordan's Christian minority. That group numbers about 300,000 people in a country with a population of 11.5 million.