Jordan holds three men in custody after nine die in church funeral shooting

Security forces in Jordan detained three armed men on Monday in connection with a shooting that killed nine people at a church funeral. The attack occurred on Friday in the village of Hamoud, located in Karak governorate, approximately 120 kilometres southwest of Amman.

State television reported that the suspects were located hiding in an abandoned house in Karak. The Public Security Directorate stated that the men refused to surrender and exchanged gunfire with officers. Forces wounded the three men and took them into custody. Officials said no security personnel were injured during the confrontation.

Forty people were wounded in the initial attack, which witnesses described as lasting several minutes. The directorate recovered multiple firearms and ammunition from the suspects. It has not released the names of the men or identified specific ties to Islamist militant organizations.

Authorities have characterized the incident as an act by "extremist terrorists," although no group has claimed responsibility. King Abdullah has ordered security forces to respond with an "iron fist" to the assault on the country's Christian minority. Such violence is rare in Jordan, which is viewed as one of the more stable nations in the Middle East.

Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya said officials are examining the circumstances that led young people toward extremism. He stated that anyone found to have participated in the attack would be held accountable. The directorate added in a statement that the suspects had met their "just fate."