Jordan arrests three suspects in deadly church attack
Arrests after a three-hour clash
Jordanian security forces located and arrested three armed suspects after searching for the attackers. The directorate said the men refused to surrender and attacked officers, who returned fire and captured them after wounding them.
The fighting lasted about three hours, according to a source cited in the report. One of the suspects was in critical condition because of injuries sustained during the clash.
Deadly shooting at a funeral
The attack took place on Friday at a funeral in a Greek Orthodox church in Hamoud, a village in Karak governorate. Three gunmen opened fire, killing eight people and injuring 40, Jordan’s Ministry of Health said.
Hamoud is about 120km (75 miles) southwest of Amman. By Monday, 27 people injured in the shooting remained in hospital; a patient at Prince Ali Military Hospital was in critical condition after surgery.
King orders security review
King Abdullah II offered condolences to the victims’ families and said those responsible would face the “harshest penalties.” He also ordered a review of Jordan’s security procedures for responding to attacks. The directorate said, “Terrorism has no place among us,” and said the suspects had met their “just fate.” It did not identify any group as affiliated with the suspects.
Key points
- Three armed suspects were arrested after a clash with Jordanian security forces.
- The Friday church attack in Hamoud killed eight people and injured 40.
- One suspect was in critical condition after the roughly three-hour fighting.
- King Abdullah II ordered a review of security procedures.