Eight Dead After Gunmen Open Fire at Jordanian Funeral

Eight people lost their lives when gunmen opened fire at a funeral inside a Greek Orthodox church in the village of Hamoud on Friday. The attack, which occurred in Jordan's Karak governorate, left 40 others injured, according to the country's Ministry of Health. The violence took place roughly 120 kilometers southwest of the capital, Amman.

Jordanian security forces captured three armed suspects on Monday. The Public Security Directorate stated the men were hiding in an abandoned house in the nearby village of Al-Jadeeda. The suspects refused to surrender and engaged the police in a firefight that lasted approximately three hours. All three were wounded and taken into custody during the confrontation.

A government source told Al Jazeera that one suspect remains in critical condition following the exchange of fire. The source noted the other attackers sustained serious injuries. Petra News Agency reported that no security personnel were killed, though the site search recovered firearms and live ammunition.

Government Communication Minister Mohammad Momani described the capture as a successful joint operation in a post on X. He confirmed that the three suspects were injured before being detained. The Public Security Directorate issued a statement calling the incident a case where the suspects met their just fate, while adding that terrorism has no place among them. The statement did not specify any affiliated groups.

Twenty-seven of the injured victims remained hospitalized on Monday. The director of Prince Ali Military Hospital in Karak said one patient was in critical condition after undergoing surgery. The Karak region serves as a home for a large portion of Jordan's Christian minority, a demographic that constitutes about 300,000 of the nation's 11.5 million residents.

King Abdullah II ordered a review of the country's security procedures for responding to attacks. He stated that those behind the shooting would face the harshest penalties and offered condolences to the victims' families. Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya said authorities are examining the circumstances that lead young people to embrace violence. He added that anyone found to have participated in the attack would be held accountable.