Jordan: Three Suspects Arrested in Karak Church Attack - Sarmad
Jordanian security forces arrest three suspects after an armed attack on a church in Karak left nine dead and 40 injured
Translated by Qiyas from سرمد — Original source
Jordanian state television reported on Monday that security forces arrested three suspects accused of carrying out a Friday attack on a church in Karak, which left nine people dead.
The attack, in which gunmen opened fire during a funeral at an Orthodox church in the village of Hamoud in Karak Governorate, about 120 kilometers southwest of the capital Amman, also injured 40 others. Witnesses said the shooting lasted for several minutes.
The Jordanian Public Security Directorate said security forces found the three suspects hiding “inside one of the abandoned houses in Karak Governorate.”
In a statement carried by state media, the Directorate said that “following a joint security operation, specialized investigation and raid teams arrested the three terrorists who carried out the cowardly terrorist operation, and injured them all after an armed clash with them, with no casualties among the security forces.”
It added that the three “refused to surrender and initiated firing bullets toward the security force, where rules of engagement were applied until they were subdued and arrested.”
The statement said “a number of firearms and ammunition were seized from them after their arrest and the search of their location.”
Jordanian authorities said the attack was carried out by “extremist terrorists.” No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
The Directorate stated, “Terrorism has no place among us, and this small group deviating from religion, customs, and morals met their just fate at the hands of the security force.”
Jordan’s King Abdullah ordered security forces to respond with an “iron fist” to this rare attack on the Christian minority in Jordan.
Such violent acts are unprecedented in Jordan, which enjoys relative stability in the Middle East, but authorities say they have foiled several extremist plots over the years.
The Public Security Directorate did not disclose the names of the suspects or mention whether they belonged to any extremist group.
Interior Minister Mazen al-Farayeh said on Monday, “We are reviewing all the circumstances that led the youth to extremism, and we will hold accountable anyone proven to have participated. We will turn this tragedy into measures that protect citizens’ lives.”
