Nine killed in Jordan church shooting as police detain three gunmen

Nine people died in a shooting at a Greek Orthodox church in the village of Hamoud, Jordan, on Friday. The attack occurred during a funeral service and left 40 additional people wounded. Witnesses reported that gunfire continued for several minutes before security forces arrived.

On Monday, state television announced that Jordanian security forces had arrested three armed suspects linked to the violence. The Public Security Directorate stated that officers located the men hiding in an abandoned house in Karak governorate. The location is roughly 120 kilometres southwest of the capital, Amman.

According to a statement published on state media, the suspects refused to surrender and opened fire on responding officers. Security forces returned fire, wounding all three men before taking them into custody. The directorate confirmed that no security personnel were injured during the exchange. Officers recovered multiple firearms and ammunition from the suspects.

Jordanian officials have characterized the attack as the work of extremist terrorists, although no group has formally claimed responsibility. The Public Security Directorate did not release the names of the suspects or identify specific ties to Islamist militant organizations. In its statement, the directorate declared that terrorism has no place among the population and that the suspects had met their just fate.

King Abdullah ordered security forces to respond with an iron fist to the assault on the country's Christian minority. Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya said authorities are examining the circumstances that pushed young people toward extremism. He added that anyone found to have taken part in the attack would be held accountable.