Overview
- Gunmen opened fire during a funeral at St George’s Greek Orthodox Church in Hamoud, Karak, which on Friday killed eight or nine people and wounded about 40 others according to official reports.
- After days of searching, Jordanian security forces found the suspects hiding in an abandoned house and arrested all three following a shootout in which the suspects were wounded and firearms and ammunition were seized.
- Officials have described the assault as carried out by extremist terrorists but say it is too early to confirm links to any known militant group and no claim of responsibility has emerged.
- King Abdullah II ordered a firm response and the government declared three days of national mourning while Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya ordered reviews into how young people are drawn to violence.
- The attack is unusual in Jordan, where Christians form roughly 2–3% of the population, and it is likely to tighten domestic security measures and increase scrutiny of radicalization pathways as investigators continue questioning the suspects and treating dozens of injured people in hospital.