Jordan detains three armed suspects after deadly church shooting in Karak

Security forces in Jordan have detained three armed individuals following an exchange of gunfire linked to a church shooting that left nine people dead, state media reported on Monday.

The arrests took place after law enforcement tracked the suspects to a deserted residence in the Karak governorate, roughly 120 kilometres southwest of Amman. According to a statement from the Public Security Directorate published by state media, the individuals declined to surrender and opened fire on the responding officers. Personnel returned fire, injuring and detaining all three men. Officials reported that no security personnel suffered injuries during the operation, and weapons along with ammunition were recovered from the building.

The underlying assault occurred on Friday during a funeral service at a Greek Orthodox church located in the village of Hamoud within Karak. In addition to the nine fatalities, the gunfire left 40 people wounded. Witnesses reported that the barrage of bullets continued for several minutes.

Government officials described the perpetrators as extremist terrorists, though no organisation had claimed responsibility for the incident as of Monday. Authorities have not released the identities of the detained individuals or confirmed connections to any specific militant organizations.

Jordanian monarch King Abdullah instructed law enforcement agencies to handle the assault with an iron fist, emphasizing zero tolerance for actions targeting the country's Christian population. The Public Security Directorate echoed this stance, stating that terrorism would not be tolerated.

Acts of this nature remain extremely rare in Jordan, which has long been viewed as a bastion of relative stability in the region and serves as a key partner to the United States in regional counterterrorism efforts. Despite the uncommon nature of such shootings, Jordanian officials have noted that security services have disrupted multiple militant plots over previous years.

Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya indicated that investigators are examining the factors drawing youths toward extremist violence. He affirmed that anyone proven to have taken part in the church assault would face justice.