Jordanian officials revealed details and information on Monday concerning the attack on a church in the village of Hamoud, in Karak Governorate, which resulted in the deaths of 9 people.
Jordanian Interior Minister Mazen Al-Faraya said at a press conference that “investigations into the Karak attack are still ongoing and have not yet concluded, despite the arrest of the perpetrators.”
He added: “The operation to arrest those responsible for the Karak attack was a special operation carried out under difficult circumstances.”
He stressed that “the hand of justice has reached the perpetrators of the terrorist attack in Karak today. We are keen to ensure that such an incident, which occurred in Karak, does not happen again.”
He noted that the government “has a strategy to put an end to extremism by all means.”
According to Al-Faraya, “there is nothing to indicate that the terrorists had links to other cells.”
Details of the Operation to Arrest the Perpetrators of the Karak Attack
Jordan’s Director of Public Security, Major General Obeidallah Al-Maaytah, explained that “three terrorists were arrested during today’s security operation.”
Among the details revealed by Al-Maaytah:
- Weapons and ammunition were seized from the three terrorists after they were surrounded inside a house.
- The three arrested terrorists belong to the same family, and two of them are brothers.
- The three arrested terrorists live in the town of “Hamoud,” in Karak Governorate.
- The attack in Karak had not been planned in advance; it was carried out spontaneously.
For his part, Jordanian government spokesperson Mohammed Al-Momani said that “what unites Jordanians is stronger than any attempt to sow division.”
He pointed out that “the campaign to eradicate extremist and takfiri ideology continues across all sectors.”
The Jordanian Public Security Directorate announced that joint special investigation and raid teams, along with security agencies, had managed to locate the perpetrators of the terrorist attack on Hamoud Church in the early hours of Monday.
In a statement, the Directorate confirmed that “the three terrorists had barricaded themselves inside an abandoned house and refused to surrender. They opened fire on the security force, which applied the rules of engagement until it brought the situation under control and arrested them after all three had been wounded, with no injuries among the security personnel.”
The Directorate added that firearms and ammunition were found in their possession after their arrest and a search of the place where they had been staying, according to the Petra News Agency.
On Friday, three armed men, whom the authorities later described as “extremists,” attacked people attending a funeral at St. George’s Church in the village of Hamoud in southern Jordan. They opened heavy fire, killing 9 people and injuring 25 others before fleeing.
Jordan’s King Abdullah II had described the attack as “terrorist” and vowed to impose “the harshest penalties” on the attackers.
Christians make up approximately 3 percent of Jordan’s population, which numbers nearly 11 million.
Karak Governorate, with a population of around 375,000, has a significant Christian presence, including among clans such as the Halsa and Hijazin.
In 2016, the governorate witnessed a series of attacks, most of which were attributed to the “Islamic State” organization (ISIS). The deadliest attack targeted a security center and police patrols in December, leaving 10 people dead, including7 security personnel and a female tourist.
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