Jordan arrests three relatives over deadly church attack after shoot-out, officials say
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Nine people were killed and 40 others wounded on Oct 23 in the attack on a church in the village of Hamoud in Karak.
PHOTO: AFP
- Jordanian security forces arrested three suspects over the Oct 23 church attack in Karak that killed nine people and wounded 40, state TV said.
- The suspects were found hiding in an abandoned house, refused to surrender, and exchanged fire with police before being wounded and detained.
- Authorities seized firearms and ammunition. No group has claimed responsibility, and officials have not confirmed any militant link.
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AL-JUDAYYDA, Jordan/DUBAI – Jordanian security forces arrested two brothers and their brother-in-law after a shoot-out on Oct 26 over a church attack that killed nine people, and the suspects appear to have no ties to other cells, senior government security officials said.
“God willing, they represent only themselves,” said Jordan’s Director of Public Security, Major-General Obeidallah al-Maaytah.
Such violence is highly unusual in Jordan, a relatively stable US ally in the Middle East, and the Oct 23 attack on the Christian minority prompted King Abdullah II to order security forces to respond with an “iron fist”.
At a press conference, al-Maaytah and Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya said the country would not tolerate extremist terrorism.
“Investigations are still ongoing. As at today, there are no indications of any links between them and other cells,” al-Faraya added.
The Oct 23 attack during a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in the village of Hamoud, about 120km south-west of the capital Amman, also wounded 40 others. Witnesses said gunmen opened fire for several minutes.
The suspects, who lived near Hamoud, will face justice, said the security officials.
Reuters’ video footage showed a building pockmarked by the exchange of fire in the village of al-Judayyda, in Karak governorate.
Jordan’s Public Security Directorate said in a statement that security forces located the suspects while hiding in an abandoned house.
They refused to surrender and attacked security forces, who returned fire and arrested all three after wounding them.
No security personnel were injured, and security forces found a number of firearms and rounds of ammunition in the suspects’ possession.
There has been no claim of responsibility.
“Terrorism has no place among us,” the directorate said.
The Public Security Directorate did not name the suspects or identify possible affiliations with any Islamist militant groups.
Al-Faraya said the authorities were reviewing the circumstances that led young people towards extremism and would hold accountable anyone found to have participated in the attack. REUTERS