Jordanian police arrest three suspects after three-hour shootout
Three family members were captured in an abandoned house in Karak governorate following a deadly attack on a church.
By Jason Wood ·
Jordanian security forces arrested three suspects on Monday morning following a three-hour gun battle in the village of al-Jadeeda. The suspects, all members of one family, were hiding in an abandoned house after authorities launched a dawn operation to capture them. They refused to surrender and exchanged fire with police before being taken into custody.
The arrest concludes the immediate search for individuals linked to a violent attack on St. George's Church in the nearby village of Hamoud. That attack occurred on Friday during a funeral procession. Armed men stormed the church compound, killing at least eight people and wounding 34 others. The incident marked a rare act of violence against the Christian minority in the Muslim-majority kingdom.
Interior Minister Mazin al-Farrayeh confirmed on Monday that all three suspects are Jordanian citizens. He stated that security services identified them early after the incident and employed all available means to locate them. A senior security official told journalists that the group included two brothers. Authorities reported that they found no ties to other armed groups at this stage.
The suspects sustained severe injuries during the firefight. The Public Security Directorate noted that one suspect was critically wounded. Security forces recovered firearms and ammunition from the hideout. The state news agency Petra reported that the scope of the search expanded significantly until the final operation, where multiple locations were raided before the suspects were surrounded in al-Jadeeda.
King Abdullah II ordered security forces to respond with an iron fist to the attack. He met with the victims and addressed a National Security Council meeting on Saturday. He declared that the security and safety of Jordanians are a red line. He added that the hand of justice will reach every terrorist. A day earlier, he had stated that the shooting would be met with the harshest retaliation possible.
Prime Minister Jafar Hassan ordered three days of national mourning beginning on Friday. Flags were flown at half-mast over government and public institutions. Eight of the victims were buried in Karak on Sunday. Their coffins were draped with Jordanian flags as they were carried through a large crowd of mourners under heavy security.
Minister al-Farrayeh said investigations are ongoing. He stated that everyone part of the terrorist act will be taken to justice. He urged citizens to remain calm and called for practical measures to protect civilians. The Public Security Directorate did not publicly name the suspects or identify specific affiliations. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack to date.
Source: Al Jazeera
