Jordan Arrests Three Suspects over Deadly Church Attack, State Media Reports

AP

The Greek Orthodox church where the attack took place.

Jordanian security forces have arrested three armed suspects following a shootout on Monday in connection with a church attack that killed nine people in the US-allied country, state television reported.

The attack took place on Friday during a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in the village of Hamoud, around 120 kilometres south-west of the capital, Amman. Forty other people were injured, raising concerns within the country’s Christian community.

Witnesses said the shooting lasted several minutes. Reuters video footage showed a building in the village of al-Judayyda, in Karak Governorate, marked by bullet impacts from the exchange of fire.

Jordan’s Public Security Directorate said the suspects were found hiding in an abandoned house in Karak. According to a statement carried by state media, they refused to surrender and opened fire on security forces, who returned fire and arrested all three after wounding them.

No security personnel were injured during the operation. Authorities also recovered several firearms and quantities of ammunition from the suspects, the directorate said.

Jordanian authorities have described the attack as an act of “extremist terrorism”. No group has claimed responsibility.

"Terrorism has no place among us," the directorate said, adding that the suspects had met their "just fate".

King Abdullah, a US partner in the fight against ⁠Islamist militant groups, has ordered security forces to respond with an "iron fist" to the rare attack on the Christian minority.

Source: Reuters



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