Karak Church Attack: Three Suspects Wounded, Detained

Three armed suspects are in custody after a clash with Jordanian security forces in Karak.

The Public Security Directorate said the men were located in an abandoned house in the village of Al-Jadeeda. According to the directorate's statement, carried by state media, the suspects declined to surrender and opened fire on the forces, who returned fire. All three were detained after being wounded.

A Jordanian government source told Al Jazeera that the suspects sustained serious injuries during the confrontation and that one was in critical condition. The fighting lasted about three hours, the source said. Jordan's Petra News Agency reported that no security personnel were hurt and that firearms and live ammunition were recovered at the site. The directorate stated that the suspects had met their "just fate" and added, "Terrorism has no place among us." The statement did not identify any group to which the suspects might belong.

Government Communication Minister Mohammad Momani posted on X early Monday that the operation was a successful joint effort and confirmed all three suspects were wounded and detained after refusing to surrender. King Abdullah II offered condolences to the families of the victims and said those responsible would face the "harshest penalties." He also ordered a review of the country's security procedures for responding to attacks. Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya said authorities were examining the circumstances that lead young people to embrace violence, and that anyone found to have participated in the attack would be held accountable.

The attack occurred on Friday when three gunmen fired on a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in the village of Hamoud, located about 120km southwest of Amman. Jordan's Ministry of Health reported eight people were killed and 40 were injured. By Monday, 27 of the wounded remained hospitalized. The director of Prince Ali Military Hospital in Karak said one patient was in critical condition following surgery.

Karak is home to many members of Jordan's Christian minority, which numbers about 300,000 people in a country of 11.5 million.

The Public Security Directorate reported that three suspects were found wounded in an abandoned house in Al-Jadeeda and taken into custody after an exchange of fire.