Nine Dead in Jordan as Three Gunmen Captured in Karak

Jordan’s Greek Orthodox community suffered a rare and violent blow on Friday when gunfire erupted during a funeral.

The attack occurred in the village of Hamoud, located in Karak governorate roughly 120 km southwest of Amman. Nine people died in the incident, and 40 others sustained injuries. Witnesses described the exchange of fire as lasting several minutes.

Following a shootout on Monday, state television reported that security forces arrested three armed suspects connected to the violence. The Public Security Directorate stated the men were hiding in an abandoned house in Karak. They refused to surrender and engaged the forces with gunfire. All three suspects were wounded during the engagement before officers took them into custody.

The directorate confirmed that no security personnel were injured. Investigators recovered multiple firearms and ammunition from the detained men. Officials labeled the attackers as extremist terrorists, a description used despite the fact that no group has formally claimed responsibility for the bloodshed.

King Abdullah ordered an iron fist response to the incident, citing the rarity of such attacks on the country’s Christian minority. Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya said authorities are reviewing the factors that drive young people toward extremism. He assured the public that every participant in the attack would face accountability.

Jordan, often viewed as a stable state in the Middle East, has foiled several Islamist plots in recent years. The directorate did not name the suspects or link them to a specific Islamist organization. The statement concluded that terrorism has no place in the region and that the suspects have met their just fate.