Three gunmen captured after standoff in Jordanian village
Security forces wounded and arrested three suspects who killed eight people during a funeral in Karak last Friday.
By Allison Rojas ·
Eight people died and 40 were injured when three gunmen opened fire at a funeral in the Jordanian village of Hamoud on Friday. The attack targeted a gathering at a Greek Orthodox church located about 120 kilometers southwest of Amman. The Ministry of Health confirmed the casualty figures shortly after the shooting.
Security forces located the three suspects on Monday while they hid in an abandoned house in the nearby village of Al-Jadeeda. According to the Public Security Directorate, the men refused to surrender and exchanged fire with officers. The confrontation lasted approximately three hours before all three were arrested. A government source stated that the attackers sustained serious injuries during the clash, with one suspect in critical condition.
Jordan’s Petra News Agency reported that no security personnel were killed in the firefight. Investigators recovered firearms and live ammunition from the site of the capture. On Monday, 27 of the 40 injured victims remained hospitalized. The director of Prince Ali Military Hospital in Karak noted that one patient remained in critical condition following surgery.
Government Communication Minister Mohammad Momani praised the security teams in a post on X, describing the action as a successful joint operation. He confirmed that the three suspects were injured and taken into custody after their refusal to give up. The Public Security Directorate added that the suspects had met their just fate, though officials did not name a specific group affiliated with the men.
Karak is a center for Jordan’s Christian community. This religious minority comprises approximately 300,000 of the country’s 11.5 million residents. King Abdullah II told families of the victims that the perpetrators would face the harshest penalties. He also ordered a review of national security procedures for responding to such attacks.
Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya said authorities are examining the circumstances that lead young people to embrace violence. He stated that anyone found to have participated in the attack would be held accountable. The ministry is currently processing the evidence collected from the abandoned house in Al-Jadeeda.
