Jordan Detains Three After Church Shooting

Jordanian security forces surrounded three men at dawn on Monday in a shootout at Karak governorate, south of the capital Amman. The Public Security Directorate reported all three suspects were injured during the operation, while no members of the security forces were hurt. The arrests followed an attack on a Greek Orthodox church in the village of Hammoud during a funeral service on Friday. Authorities said three men participated in that assault.

Interior Minister Mazen Al-Faraya identified the men in custody as those responsible for the church attack. Speaking by phone to state broadcaster Al-Mmlaka, he said security services had "fulfilled their duties, resulting in the capture of those who carried out this terrorist act." The suspects resisted officers before being detained with severe injuries, Al-Faraya said, adding that investigators identified the men shortly after the incident and used all available means to find them.

No group has claimed responsibility for the shooting, and authorities have not publicly accused any armed organization. The Public Security Directorate did not name the suspects or point to any links with Islamist militant groups. Reuters reported the directorate said "terrorism has no place among us" and that the men had met their "just fate."

King Abdullah II instructed authorities to respond with "an iron fist" against what he called the outlaws of Islam and anyone working to undermine the unity of the Jordanian people. Karak governorate is home to a minority Christian population.