Jordanian police wound three gunmen in Karak village standoff

Jordanian police have arrested three armed men involved in a deadly church attack in Karak governorate.

The Public Security Directorate confirmed on Monday that the three suspects were located hiding in an abandoned house in the village of Al-Jadeeda. The men refused to surrender and opened fire on officers. Security forces returned fire and wounded all three before taking them into custody.

A government source told Al Jazeera that the confrontation lasted approximately three hours. The attackers sustained serious injuries during the exchange. One suspect remains in critical condition, the source stated. No security personnel were killed or injured in the firefight.

Petra News Agency reported that a search of the property recovered firearms and live ammunition. Government Communication Minister Mohammad Momani praised the operation in a post on X. He described it as a successful joint effort. Momani confirmed that all three men were injured and detained after they declined to hand themselves over.

The initial attack occurred on Friday when three gunmen opened fire at a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in the village of Hamoud. The village is located about 120km southwest of Amman. The Ministry of Health said eight people were killed and 40 were wounded in the shooting.

Twenty-seven of those injured were still hospitalized as of Monday. The director of Prince Ali Military Hospital in Karak said one patient remained in critical condition following surgery. Karak is a center for Jordan's Christian minority, which numbers approximately 300,000 people in a nation of 11.5 million.

King Abdullah II ordered a review of security procedures for responding to such attacks. Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya said authorities are examining the factors that lead young people to violence. He stated that anyone found to have participated in the attack would be held accountable.

The Public Security Directorate said the suspects met their just fate. The directorate did not name any specific groups affiliated with the attackers.