Three Armed Suspects Arrested Wounded Over Deadly Church Attack in Jordan

Jordanian security forces have arrested three armed suspects in connection with an attack on a church in the Karak governorate that killed eight people. State media reported that the three were arrested on Monday after days of searching.

Jordan's Public Security Directorate said the suspects had been hiding in an abandoned house in the village of Al-Jadeeda in Karak. Security forces located them on Monday.

In its statement, the directorate said the suspects refused to surrender and attacked the security forces, who returned fire and arrested all three after wounding them.

A Jordanian government source told Al Jazeera that the attackers sustained serious injuries in the confrontation. One of the suspects was in a critical condition, and the source said the fighting lasted for about three hours.

Jordan's Petra News Agency reported that no casualties were recorded among security personnel. A search of the site yielded firearms and live ammunition.

The Public Security Directorate said, 'Terrorism has no place among us.' Its statement did not mention any specific group affiliation for the suspects.

Government Communication Minister Mohammad Momani, in a statement posted on X early on Monday, described the joint operation as successful. He confirmed that all three suspects were injured and taken into custody after refusing to surrender.

On Friday, three gunmen opened fire at a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in the village of Hamoud in Karak, about 120 kilometres (75 miles) southwest of the capital, Amman. Jordan's Ministry of Health said eight people were killed and 40 injured in the attack.

Of the injured, 27 remained in hospital on Monday. The director of Prince Ali Military Hospital in the city of Karak said one person was in a critical condition after undergoing surgery.

Karak is home to many members of Jordan's Christian minority, which makes up about 300,000 of the country's 11.5 million people.

King Abdullah II said those behind the attack would face the harshest penalties. He offered condolences to the victims' families and ordered a review of the country's security procedures for responding to attacks.

Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya said authorities were reviewing the circumstances that lead young people to embrace violence, and would hold accountable anyone found to have participated in the attack.